The Sligo Loop

The loop

The Sligo Loop is a self-drive circuit around the Sligo country, starting and ending in Sligo town, and it is the easiest way to take the whole of Yeats country in a single day. The classic route goes north from the town to Drumcliff and the grave of the poet, rounds Benbulbin, comes down through the Glencar country, and returns along the shore of Lough Gill to Strandhill, with the beach and the surf at the west end.

What it covers

In one loop: the poet’s grave and the high cross at Drumcliff; the face and the top of Benbulbin (the walk is an optional extra — the view from the road is enough for a drive day); the waterfalls at Glencar; the reflection on Lough Gill; and Strandhill beach, with the headland at its west end. Add Rosses Point and Coney Island to the north for a longer version, at low tide.

A note on the route

“Sligo Loop” is a name applied to more than one itinerary, and the published distances vary: the core circuit runs to about 95 km, while the longer Yeats-country-and-Lough-Gill versions run past 180 km. Take the day slowly and the distance question takes care of itself — the stops, not the miles, are the point. The coastal arm of the loop runs along the same stretch of coast that the Wild Atlantic Way follows through the bay, which is part of the route’s Donegal–Mayo section — so the drive day doubles as a look at the longer route.