Ring of Gullion

The Ring of Gullion is located in the far south of Northern Ireland, right on the border with the Republic of Ireland. It’s a ring of craggy heather covered hills which circle the site of an ancient volcano which exploded 60 million years ago.

The Ring of Gullion is regarded as the most famous ancient ring dyke in the world. This area is also home to the Slieve Gullion mountain and the Slieve Gullion Forest Park. It is a volcanic landscape which is celebrated by geologists for its unique landforms.

Along the mountain paths and forest trails, there are numerous ancient monuments including twenty large stone tombs. The Clontygora Court Grave is a fine example of a neolithic tomb used by an early farming community for collective burial between 4000 and 2500BC.

There are also interesting historical sites to see. The Moyry mountain pass was of historical military importance as it controlled the route between Ulster and Leinster and was the scene of many battles. The Moyry Castle was constructed to guard the pass in 1601. The Craigmore Viaduct is the highest viaduct in Ireland and forms a part of Northern Irish engineering history. Completed in 1852 to enable trains to traverse the Camlough River valley, its 18 proud arches make for a spectacular sight.

The Ring of Gullion region offers a number of day and multi-day walks and there are a several tour operators offering a variety of walking trips.

The most well-known multi-day walk in the Ring of Gullion area is the Ring of Gullion Way, a 58 kilometre walk around the Ring of Gullion Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

There are other multi-day walks in the area including shorter ones than the Ring of Gullion Way and the walking tour operators have crafted different walking itineraries. We can help you choose a walk and an operator that best suits your needs.

The Ring of Gullion Way is just one of the Ring of Gullion walks we can tell you about, and help you to plan and complete.