Discover the ancient tombs sacred sites and the rich history of Sligo and Leitrim
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Explore ancient court tombs, round towers, and sacred landscapes in Sligo, home to some of Ireland’s oldest and most dramatic megalithic sites.
Or journey through medieval monasteries, restored castles, and legendary lakes by boat in Leitrim.
From Queen Medb’s tomb to Seán Mac Diarmada’s cottage, uncover the spiritual and revolutionary heart of the north-west.
One of the largest examples of a Court Tomb in Ireland
Your starting point is Creevykeel Court Tomb, which is located 2km north-east of Cliffoney, Co. Sligo. One of five megalithic monuments in the area, this court tomb, is also known as a court cairn.
County Sligo’s only round tower
Head south – where in the shadow of Ben Bulben, stands Sligo’s only round tower. The tower and high cross are all that is left of a monastery founded by St. Columcille in 574AD.
Ireland’s oldest megalithic tombs set in a dramatic Neolithic landscape
Continue you journey south to a site which has been placed on Ireland’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites, together with the other monuments that comprise ‘The Passage Tomb Landscape of County Sligo’. Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery is located near Sligo town on the Cúil Íorra Peninsula, at the heart of Neolithic north-west Ireland.
A passage tomb fit for a Warrior Queen
From there, make the short trip to Queen Medb’s Tomb which lies on top of Knocknarea mountain. There lies a cairn spanning 35 feet high and 200 feet in diameter. The legend of the Warrior Queen is supposedly resting beneath.
Where friars’ prayers echo among the ruins
The Dominican priory known as Sligo Abbey has dominated Sligo’s eastern district since the town was founded in the mid-thirteenth century. Large parts of the church, sacristy and chapterhouse are preserved from this period.
During the summer season why not make the short walk from Sligo Abbey to the pier at Doorley Park where you can take a short boat trip to Parke’s Castle.
Walk in the footsteps of planters and Gaels
Parke’s Castle occupies a striking setting on the northern shores of Lough Gill in County Leitrim. A restored castle of the early seventeenth century, it was once the home of English planter Robert Parke.
Why not take the Rose of Innisfree boat during the summer season from Doorley Pier in Sligo town. It departs at 10.30am on Wednesday mornings. This is followed by a guided tour of Parke’s Castle at 11:30am. The boat then departs from Parke’s Castle Jetty at 12:20pm and arrives in Sligo at 13:30pm.
Magnificent ruins of the last Franciscan Friary founded in Ireland
Located to the south west of the River Bonet, an important tributary of Lough Gill, Creevelea friary was founded for the Franciscan Order in 1508. The Annals of the Four Masters records that it was accidentally burned down in 1536, with the loss of many valuable books and sacred vessels.
One of the cradles of the rising
Just over 20 km away lies the homestead of the 1916 leader Seán Mac Diarmada in Kiltyclogher, County Leitrim. It offers an unparalleled insight into the origins of a key figure in one of the most explosive episodes of Irish history.
Existing on a monastic site founded by Saint Caillín
Travel south to where two churches exist 130 metres apart, with the first church built on the site of an ecclesiastical enclosure founded by Saint Caillín in the 6th century. It is said that he transformed the local druids into stones.
Rochtain gan teorainn ar ár n-oidhreacht
