Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the car park on Glen Road, follow the gravel track west up Knocknarea and through the kissing gate, where the path grows steeper and rougher, to the summit. Walk round Queen Maeve's Cairn (Miosgán Meadhbha) at its foot, then follow the red arrows down the north-west side, by timber steps and a bog bridge. At the bottom, turn right along the forest edge below the north face and follow the tracks back to the car park. The loop goes clockwise.
It is 6.3 km round with 248 m of ascent; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Easy: gravel tracks and paths, with a steep, rugged climb near the top.
The trail crosses private farmland by the landowners' permission: keep to the path. The cairn is a national monument and a sacred burial place: walk round it, never climb it, never take stones. Dogs are not allowed on this loop, and none at all on the mountain in the lambing season, February to April. Cloud and wind come in quickly: turn back if in doubt. The bog bridge is slippery when wet. The trail closes for one day each December.
The car park is free. Bus Éireann's Sligo to Strandhill town service S2 passes the trail's Strandhill entrance on the R292, where you can join the loop.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Knocknarea is a 327 m limestone hill on the Cúil Irra peninsula, visible from much of County Sligo.
- Queen Maeve's Cairn on the summit is about 55 m across and 10 m high, built around 3400 BC and thought to cover an unopened passage tomb.
- Legend says Maeve, warrior queen of Connacht in the Táin, lies buried upright inside it facing her enemies in Ulster.
- Smaller passage tombs, hut sites and old banks ring the summit; the Carrowmore tomb cemetery lies on the plain below.
Summits on the way
- Knocknarea 327 m · passed close by
Getting there
Start: Knocknarea car park on Glen Road · Free parking. 54.25329, -8.55764
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Sligo Mac Diarmada: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.