Horses graze peacefully at the summit of the modest 70 metre high Knockdoe Hill situated just north of Lackagh, a village lying 16 km north-east of Galway city. As its name implies (Gaelic: Hill of the axes), this was not the place to be on August 19th, 1504, when a battle raged here between a 6000 strong force supporting the royal Lord Deputy Garret Mór FitzGerald, 8th earl of Kildare, and a 4000 strong force supporting Ulick de Burgo, the local lord of Clanricard. Knockdoe is considered to be the bloodiest battle to have taken place in medieval Ireland with casualties ranging from 2000 to 4000 according to relatively contemporaneous documents. The battle is noteworthy for the array of troops involved on both sides and from all over Ireland (Anglo-Norman; Irish clans; Gallowglass). Knockdoe is also considered to be one of the earliest sites in Ireland where primitive firearms were employed in battle. A balanced account of the Battle of Knockdoe and the historical context which lead to it taking place can be read here Link
It is curious that other than a single signpost pointing to the road flanking the eastern side of the hill, there are no further directional aids provided on how to access the hilltop. Asking a knowledgeable local was the only means by which I could glean the location of the single unsigned track to the top.