Sligo to Yeats Country Loop by Coach or Minibus
Yeats Country is the landscape around Sligo that W. B. Yeats wrote about: Benbulben, Drumcliffe, Glencar and Lough Gill. A half-day coach loop takes in three or four of these places and brings the group back to Sligo for lunch or the afternoon.
Journey
- Sligo to Yeats Country Loop
- Approximately Half day
- Serving Sligo
About Yeats Country
- The landscapes that inspired poet W.B. Yeats, including his grave at Drumcliffe churchyard under the shadow of Benbulben.
- Nearest base: Sligo
Drumcliffe
The first stop is usually Drumcliffe, on the N15 about 8 km north of town. Yeats is buried in the churchyard of St Columba's church under Benbulben, and the site also has a high cross and the stump of a round tower. The churchyard is open all year and the church opens daily in the main season. Group visits can be booked with the church ahead of time.
Glencar and Lough Gill
Glencar Waterfall, in County Leitrim about 11 km west of Manorhamilton, is the waterfall of Yeats's poem The Stolen Child. A wooded walk leads from the car park, which has toilets and a tea room. Heading back, the R286 follows the north shore of Lough Gill to Parke's Castle, an OPW site about 11 km from Sligo with guided tours and on-site coach parking. The Lake Isle of Innisfree lies in the lough.
Seasons and opening
Several stops are seasonal. Parke's Castle opens from spring to autumn. Lissadell House, the Gore-Booth home on Sligo Bay, opens only for a few summer months and sells tickets at reception rather than online. Outside summer, a loop of Drumcliffe, Glencar and the Lough Gill shore still works, because the churchyard and the waterfall can be visited all year.
Vehicle and pace
Some approaches on the loop are minor county roads, so a minibus of up to 19 seats makes the stops quicker. A 49-seater can manage the main loop, with the driver choosing the order of stops to suit the roads. A half day means about four hours; add Lissadell or Carrowmore and it becomes a full day.
Does the loop suit a literary or school group?
Yes. The stops line up with poems often read in school, such as Under Ben Bulben, The Stolen Child and The Lake Isle of Innisfree. Teachers can plan a reading at each stop and allow time for it in the schedule.
When is Yeats Country busiest?
July and August, when the Yeats International Summer School brings literary visitors to Sligo. Book the vehicle early for those weeks and expect company at Drumcliffe.
Popular Transfers from Sligo
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