Priest’s Leap (Gaelic Léim an tSagairt) is a steep and nearly straight single-lane mountain pass between Coomhola Bridge and Bonane east of the more winding road from Bantry to Kenmare in Ireland Just below the summit of the 519 m high mountain with the same name, it is the highest pass road in Munster at 463m, crossing from County Cork to County Kerry.
According to local tradition, the placename stems from an old legend, in which a priest pursued by soldiers escaped by a miraculous leap of his horse from a mountain cliff in the townland of Cummeenshrule into the County Cork. The pursuit of the priest began in the townland of Killabunane where a rock, which allegedly melted under the pursuing hounds, can still be seen today. The rock, deeply pitted with what look like pawmarks, is situated near the main road to Kenmare. It is known locally as Carraig na Gadharaigh. Marks of the priest’s knees and hands and of the horse’s hooves appear on another rock a few miles from Bantry, where he is said to have landed after his miraculous leap.
The single–track road over Priest’s leap is very narrow, partially with a soft surface with a green strip in the centre and a very steep section north of the summit. There are a few passing places, and reversing may be required when meeting oncoming traffic.
