It is part of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks in County Kerry, and is a small sharp peak on the dramatic Beenkeragh Ridge, and is sometimes mistaken with The Bone, the north-east spur of Maolán Buí, which descends into the Hag's Glen.

The Bones is the highest point on a narrow rocky arête called the Beenkeragh Ridge, situated between Carrauntoohil 1,038 metres (3,406 ft) (Ireland's highest peak), and Beenkeragh 1,008 metres (3,307 ft) (Ireland's second-highest peak), in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks range in County Kerry.

[3] The Bones is often confused with The Bone, the north-west spur of the nearby Maolan Bui 973 metres (3,192 ft),[4] MountainViews Online Database reported that to avoid confusion in rescue situations, the Kerry Mountain Rescue ("KMR"), and the Ordnance Survey Ireland ("OSI") advocated for the official name of The Bones to become Na Cnámha on OSI maps.

[6] The Bones is regarded by the Scottish Mountaineering Club ("SMC") as one of 34 Furths, which is a mountain above 3,000 ft (914 m) in elevation, and meets the other SMC criteria for a Munro (e.g. "sufficient separation"), but which is outside of (or furth) Scotland;[7] which is why The Bones is sometimes referred to as one of the 13 Irish Munros.

[6] The Bones is not in the MountainViews Online Database, 100 Highest Irish Mountains, as the prominence threshold is over 100 m (328 ft).