From the Hazel House to Tibradden Cairn (and back)

Tibradden or Teach Bruadain (the house of Bruadain) lies between Cruagh and Kilmashogue mountains and is about 320m above sea level. It is in the midst of beautiful woods of Scots pine, Japanese larch, European larch, Sitka spruce, oak and beech. Examples of old pine woods planted in 1910 can still be seen. Heather, furze, gorse and bilberry grow in abundance and Sika deer, foxes and badgers are to be seen. There is also a good variety of bird life. The geology of the area is mainly granite and the southern slopes of the site are strewn with granite boulders.

Tibradden Mountain Trail goes from the R116 at the forest entrance to the summit of Tibradden mountain and continues straight on past the summit and downhill until it meet the Wicklow Way. The walker may then turn back and return to the start point by the same route (assumed in this description) or join the Wicklow Way. This walk is recommended for the panoramic view from the top of Tibradden.

As you ascend leaving the forest behind the expanse of Cruagh and Glendoo mountain, Glencullen, The Great and Little Sugar Loaf, Wicklow Head, Two Rock and Three Rock mountains come into view. As you reach the summit you are rewarded with spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and Dublin city, Dublin Bay, Howth and Ireland's Eye, weather permitting!

If you wish you can follow the highly visible track for some twenty minutes or so until you reach the Wicklow way (Waymarked yellow) as it passes south towards Glencullen or north towards Two Rock, Three Rock and Kilmashogue. This track is very wet and peaty at first after which it becomes a rocky watercourse so again caution is advised.

Tibradden Hill is home to a prehistoric chambered cairn that has previously been incorrectly labelled as a passage tomb. The cairn measures 25 metres in diameter and about 3 metres in height. The passage into the cairn and the chamber that are visible today appear to have been created during an excavation of the site in 1849 by members of the Royal Irish Academy. During this excavation a stone lined cist grave was found, containing pottery and cremated remains. The Irish for Tibradden Mountain is ‘Sliabh Thigh Bródáin’ meaning ‘mountain of the house of Bródáin’ and folklore suggest that this is his burial place. On the ground of the chamber a beautiful piece of spiral rock art can be seen.