Ireland Guide
Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon
Counties Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon are renowned for the rhythmic sway and gentle flamboyance of their traditional music, characterized by flutes and fiddles and often known as the North Connacht style of playing. Topographically, however, they have less in common, with Sligo possessing the most allure: though it might feel less wild and remote than nearby Mayo and Donegal, the county still features atmospheric Megalithic monuments, mountains that, in the form of Benbulben and Knocknarea, dominate the skyline, and some of Ireland's best surfing beaches. It also shares two gorgeous loughs – Gill and Glencar – with sparsely populated Leitrim, one of Ireland's hidden gems – a sweet melange of secluded lakes and drumlins, offering fine hiking territory and, thanks to its proximity to the Shannon, numerous boating and fishing opportunities. Southernmost Roscommon largely consists of unexciting farmland, especially the less appealing nether region to the west of Lough Ree, though further north, near the vibrant town of Boyle, it becomes more enthralling, blending attractive lakes with the dramatic reaches of the Arigna Mountains, Ireland's former coal-mining base.
Highlights
1 Lough Gill Utterly tranquil and unspoilt and the inspiration, alongside its island, Innisfree, for much of the poetry of Yeats.
2 Lissadell House A fine Neoclassical mansion replete with memories of the Gore-Booth sisters and the poet Yeats.