Lough Gill & Ox Mountains

Lough Gill is Yeats's lake - home to the Isle of Innisfree that inspired his most famous poem. This circuit combines the wooded lakeshore with the wild Ox Mountains, revealing a gentler Sligo away from the dramatic coast.

Why This Route?

Lough Gill and the Ox Mountains offer:

• Isle of Innisfree - Yeats's legendary island
• Wooded shores - Oak forests and walking trails
• Parke's Castle - Plantation fortress on the water
• Ox Mountains - Quiet upland wilderness
• Dromahair - Charming Leitrim village

Where to Stay

This 58km circuit starts and finishes in Sligo, looping around Lough Gill before heading south into the Ox Mountains and returning via Collooney. Since every road leads back to Sligo, it makes the ideal single base for exploring both the wooded lakeshore and the upland wilderness.

Sligo Town

Sligo gives you the widest choice of hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants, plus the convenience of being right at the route's starting point. Hazelwood and Dooney Rock are minutes from town, Parke's Castle is a short lakeside drive away, and you can detour into the Ox Mountains after completing the Lough Gill circuit without retracing your steps.

The Route

Starting from Sligo Town

Head southeast along the lakeshore.

Hazelwood

Forest park on Lough Gill:

• Sculpture trail
• Lakeside walks
• Ancient oak woods
• Picnic facilities

Dooney Rock

Where Yeats imagined his fiddler:

• Forest walk
• Lake views
• Poetry connection

Innisfree Viewpoint

The best view of Yeats's island:

• Small island visible from shore
• Interpretation panel
• Boat trips available (seasonal)
• The real Innisfree - smaller than imagined

Dromahair

A quiet Leitrim village with:

• Old Abbey (Creevelea)
• River Bonet
• Traditional pubs
• Good stop for lunch

Parke's Castle

Plantation-era fortified house:

• Beautifully restored by OPW
• On the lakeshore
• Audio-visual show
• Boat trips to Innisfree depart here

Lough Gill Circuit (North Shore)

The quieter northern shore through County Leitrim:

• Narrow roads
• Forest glimpses
• Less visited

Return to Sligo

Complete the lake circuit.

Ox Mountains Extension

From Sligo, head south into the Ox Mountains:

Ladies Brae

Mountain pass with:

• Panoramic views
• Bog landscape
• Quiet roads

Lough Talt

Mountain lake with:

• Picnic area
• Fishing
• Tranquil setting

Coolaney

Village at the mountains' foot:

• Services
• Traditional character
• Walking trails

Return via N17

Through Collooney to Sligo.

The Isle of Innisfree

The Poem

Yeats's "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" (1888) is Ireland's most famous poem: "I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree..."

The Reality

The island is small, tree-covered, and uninhabited. Yeats knew it from childhood boat trips.

Visiting

• Boat trips from Parke's Castle (summer)
• You don't land on the island
• Views from shore equally evocative

Parke's Castle

History

Built around 1610 by Robert Parke on the site of an earlier O'Rourke tower house.

The Building

• Defensive bawn (walled enclosure)
• Three-storey tower
• Restored in 1980s

Visiting

• OPW site
• Admission charge
• Guided tours
• Boat trips depart here

Walking

Hazelwood Forest

Multiple trails through ancient woodland:

• Sculpture trail (1.5km)
• Lakeshore walk
• All abilities options

Slieve Daeane (Ox Mountains)

Moderate mountain walk:

• 490m summit
• Bog terrain
• Panoramic views

Union Wood

Near Collooney:

• Waymarked trails
• Historic woodland
• Wildlife

Practical Tips

1. Innisfree - Best seen by boat; book at Parke's Castle
2. Parke's Castle - Check OPW opening times
3. Ox Mountains - Roads narrow and winding
4. Lough Talt - No facilities; bring provisions
5. Dromahair - Good lunch stop with pub food

Before You Drive This Route

The Lough Gill & Ox Mountains is 58km and about 2 hours of driving, though 1 day is the honest figure once you factor in the stops. Visitors who have never driven on the left should start with driving on the left in Ireland; the Irish roundabout rules guide covers the other thing that catches people out. For what a trip like this costs in 2026, from fuel to beds, see the budget guide. Automatic or manual is the decision that catches most visitors out — manual versus automatic has the honest answer for Irish roads. More drives in the same corner of the country are on the County Sligo page, and the Carrick-on-Shannon & the Waterways pairs naturally with this one.