Connacht - Ireland for Tourists - page 65

mote southern reaches of the county - this is one of the few accommodations available to
adventurous travelers who want to hike the largely untraveled hills of inland Sligo.
Mountains
Perhaps the most iconic mountain in County Sligo is Benbulben , a huge flat-topped table
mountain overlooking Sligo Bay. Benbulben recently gained international fame as a prom-
inent part of the backdrop in the critically-acclaimed film Calvary . Although it contributes
a lot of character to the coastline, however, the slopes are generally too steep for climbing.
There is a single path up to the top, which is a relatively strenuous climb, and of course
some people attempt the hand-over-hand technical climb straight up the rock face.
The best hiking in Sligo is probably up Knocknarea , a half-hour or so climb from bottom
to top. Knocknarea is just a couple of miles west of Sligo, on the other side of the bay from
Benbulben. In addition to spectacular views the summit also has the famous Knocknarea
Cairn , a massive pile of stones brought up from the bottom by thousands of travelers over
the years. The cairn is believed to be the burial site of one of the most fearsome villains in
all of Irish mythology: Queen Medb (pronounced “MAY-v” - welcome to spelling in the
Irish language). If you do visit the cairn, don't climb on it or damage it in any way, as this
is an extremely important cultural heritage site. However, local custom recommends that
travelers bring a pebble or small stone from the bottom of the mountain to add to the pile.
Mistreatment of the cairn, or failure to bring such an offering, could result in Queen Medb
haunting your nightmares until she exacts her revenge.
Yeats Country
Lovers of literature will find a lot to get excited about in Ireland, and when it comes to po-
etry there are few more exciting destinations than the many sites that inspired W.B. Yeats.
Locals are so proud of having inspired this great poet that the entire region around Sligo
Town is sometimes referred to as Yeats Country. The sites discussed by the poet include
Dooney Rock Forest , a small parkland on the shores of Lough Gill, as well as Innisfree ,
a small island in the middle of the lake whose tantalizing distance from the shore inspired
one of Yeats's most famous lines: “ I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree. ”