Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [390]
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AROUND SLIGO TOWN
Rosses Point
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Rosses Point (An Ros) is a picturesque seaside resort with grassy dunes rolling down to the strand, birdlife and Benbulben, Sligo’s most recognisable landmark, arching skywards in the distance. It holds special appeal for the golf-minded traveller as much of the prime real estate here is dominated by trimmed greens. Accommodation is limited, but Rosses Point is Sligo town’s backyard, so you can easily pop by for the day.
Offshore, the 1821-installed Metal Man beacon is an exact replica of the one in Tramore, County Waterford.
ACTIVITIES
Established in 1894, County Sligo Golf Course ( 071-917 7134; www.countysligogolfclub.ie; green fees Mon-Thu €75, Fri-Sun Apr-Oct €90, Mon-Thu €40, Fri-Sun Nov-Mar €50) is one of Ireland’s most challenging and renowned links courses, attracting golfers from all over Europe. Its position on the peninsula is breathtaking.
SLEEPING & EATING
Greenlands Caravan & Camping Park ( 071-917 7113; noelineha@eircom.net; campsites car/hiker or cyclist €20/11; Easter–mid-Sep) Peering over the Atlantic from the point’s extreme is this windblown site with easy access to the beaches. (Keep your head down if errant golfers are swinging nearby!) Showers cost €1.50; electricity is €5.
Yeats Country Hotel ( 071-917 7211; www.yeatscountryhotel.com; s/d from €65/130; ) There isn’t a town centre as such, so this huge three-star hotel more or less stands in for the heart of Rosses Point. It has a commanding presence overlooking the beach and the golf course, and attracts golfers and families. Rooms are large and many afford sea views. There’s a popular restaurant; food is also served at its two bars.
Parallel to the main road from Sligo (on your right as you come into Rosses Point), the unmissable orange-and-red Harry’s Bar doesn’t serve food, but be sure to stop in for a pint and a peek at its historic well, aquarium and maritime bric-a-brac.
Deer Park Court Cairn
From a nearby car park, a 10-minute walk leads through pine-scented forest to this enigmatic court tomb (also called Magheraghanrush). Dating from around 3000 BC, the crumbling structure is comparable to a crude human form, with a large bellylike central court and several protruding burial chambers positioned as though the head and legs.
Take the N16 east from Sligo and turn onto the R286 for Parke’s Castle. Almost immediately, turn left at the Y-junction onto a minor road for Manorhamilton. Continue for 3km to the car park, then follow the trail for 50m before veering right up a small hill.
Knocknarea Cairn
Sligo’s ultimate rock pile, 2km northwest of Carrowmore, Knocknarea is popularly believed to be the grave of legendary Queen Maeve (Queen Mab in Welsh and English folk tales). The 40,000 tonnes of stone have never been excavated, despite speculation that a tomb on the scale of the one at Newgrange lies buried below.
The cairn is perched high atop the limestone plateau (328m) and seems to be looking over your shoulder everywhere you dare tread in its ancestral backyard. It’s a 45-minute trek to the top, from which a spectacular panoramic view pulls in Benbulben, Rosses Point and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.
Leave Sligo as though for Carrowmore, then follow signs to Knocknarea. Or from Carrowmore, continue down the road, turn right by a church then follow the signposts.
Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery
Welcome to the largest Stone Age cemetery in Ireland and the second-biggest in Europe: Carrowmore ( 071-916 1534; adult/child/concession €3/1/2; 10am-6pm Easter-Sep, final admission 5pm; ) impresses for its variety and sheer scale. Everywhere you look you’ll see rolling hills beaded with stone circles, passage tombs and dolmens – there are about 60, all told.
The conventional wisdom is that the site pre-dates Newgrange in County Meath by some 700 years. Over the centuries, many of the stones have been destroyed,