OUTDOORS Walk of the month – Knocknarea, Sligo

A queen casts her eye over Connacht


Walking
Cathleen Fergus

Knocknarea, Co Sligo
Total Distance: 5km   
Estimated Time: 1-2 hours
Degree of Difficulty: Easy to moderate – subject to fitness
Trail Surface: Mountain trail, open farmland
Minimum Gear: Walking boots, raingear, camera, liquids
Dogs: Dogs must be kept on a lead

It’s been said that on a clear day you can see all five counties in the province from the top of Knocknarea, though I am not quite sure whether the little tip of Galway that they say you can see, is in reality a bit of Mayo coastline or a field in Roscommon, but we’ll give it to them.
Knocknarea dominates the skyline of West Sligo and it’s well known for its huge flat-topped cairn that can be seen from every side as you approach Sligo town. It has spectacular views, looking out at the Ox Mountains, Slieve League, the Atlantic and Lough Gill. It’s a great hill for beginners or for those who want to give children a taste of hillwalking with lots of folklore and history thrown in for good measure.
I don’t think I know of a hill more fabled than Knocknarea; our provincial neighbours are almost as good at storytelling as we are. Legend has it that Queen Meave of Connacht who is buried here, stood upright to protect Sligo from her enemies in Ulster. The tomb has been classified as a Neolithic passage tomb and is estimated to be the largest in Ireland outside of the Boyne Valley, measuring 55 metres across and 10 metres in height. It’s also surrounded by a number of smaller tombs.
The walk begins at the base of the hill at the car park. Follow the path up the hill, making sure to pick up a stone along the way to leave on the cairn at the top for luck. The walk gets gradually steeper from the kissing gate and continues up to the cairn at 452m. The terrain is quite rugged as you get closer to the summit, so take care on both ascent and descent. As it’s a National Monument, walkers are requested not to walk on the cairn, and, as an extra precaution, legend has it that it’s bad luck to take a stone from it.
According to 11th-century writings, Queen Meave’s demise was rather bizarre. She is said to have been killed by a sling shot consisting of hard cheese, which was fired by her nephew in revenge for the death of his mother. Who could have ever guessed that a piece of Gruyere in the wrong hands could prove so deadly?
For an enjoyable short walk steeped in legend, Knocknarea is top of the list, and well worth the trip across the Mayo/Sligo border.


PANORAMA One of the spectacular views from the top of Knocknarea.

Directions
From Sligo town, take the N4 north towards Sligo exiting at Ballisodare. Take the R292 signposted Strandhill for 3.9km. At Redgate crossroads, you will see signs for Carrowmore to the right and Strandhill to the left – continue straight (sign-posted Knocknarea). Take the second left and continue straight to the car park located on the right. The track starts from the car park.

Cathleen Fergus works for South West Mayo Development Company as Rural Recreation Officer. Her job includes the design, development and promotion of walking and cycling trails. She can be contacted at living@mayonews.ie.