The Drumcliffe area of Sligo has long been associated with the Colmcille story due to the Battle of the Books having occurred in the area and the tradition that the monastery there was founded by the saint following his return from exile in Iona. Please click on the individual tabs below to learn more about the history and attractions of this area, which is rich in social, cultural, natural, and built heritage.
Irish poet and Nobel Laureate William Butler Yeats, whose had close associations with Sligo, chose the peaceful churchyard at Drumcliffe, where his great grandfather was once rector, as his final resting place. Following his death in France in 1939, and due to … Read More
Built on the site of an earlier church, Rathcormac Roman Catholic Church is dedicated to St. Colmcille (Columba), founder of nearby Drumcliffe monastery in the 6th century. The present church was built in 1833 with contributions from local residents, including … Read More
Located in Rathcormac park is a statue of Countess Constance Markievicz (1868-1927), Irish nationalist, suffragette, politician, and champion of the poor. Born Constance Gore-Booth, the daughter of local land owner Sir Henry Gore-Booth, she spent her childhood living in nearby Lissadell House, … Read More
At the end of a short trail (at the rear of Yeats’ Tavern carpark), on privately owned land, is Coolbeg wedge tomb, a National Monument known locally as the ‘Giants Grave’. Dating from approximately 3,000-4,000 years ago, the tomb consists … Read More
Four possible boulder burial stones were identified on a north-facing slope west of the village in Kintogher townland in 2008 by archaeologist Faith Bailey. Possibly dating to the middle to late Bronze Age, boulder burials consist of megalithic size stones … Read More