The tranquil surrounds of Parke's Castle, with swans drifting by on Lough Gill and neat grass cloaking the old moat, belie the fact that its early Plantation architecture, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, was created out of an unwelcome English landlord's insecurity and fear. The restored, three-storey castle forms part of one of the five sides of the bawn (area surrounded by walls outside the main castle), which also has three rounded turrets at its corners. It's 11km east of Sligo town.
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions
9.74 MILES
Sligo's ultimate rock pile sits atop a magical mountain hike. Knocknarea Cairn is popularly believed to be the grave of legendary Queen Maeve (Queen Mab…
Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery
14.36 MILES
With a bird's-eye view of the county from high in the Bricklieve Mountains, it's little wonder this hilltop site was sacred in prehistoric times. But for…
Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery
7.57 MILES
One of the largest Stone Age cemeteries in Europe, Carrowmore is finally receiving the renown it deserves and is Sligo's must-see attraction. Some 30…
13.28 MILES
Curving, dune-backed, 3km-long Streedagh Strand occasionally sees parts of the Spanish Armada washing up on its shores from three wrecks offshore: La…
28.46 MILES
Guarding a picturesque bend of the River Eske, well-preserved 15th-century Donegal Castle is an imperious monument to Irish and English might. The castle…
21.13 MILES
To the south of Lower Lough Erne lies a limestone plateau, where Fermanagh's abundant rainwater has carved out a network of subterranean caverns. The…
28.46 MILES
Devenish Island, from Daimh Inis, meaning 'Ox Island', is the biggest of several 'holy islands' in Lough Erne. The remains of an Augustinian monastery,…
19.75 MILES
Sprinkled with small islands, the 350-hectare Lough Key Forest Park, 4km east of Boyle, shelters picturesque ruins including a 12th-century abbey on tiny…
Nearby The Midlands attractions
1.58 MILES
This pint-sized island lies tantalisingly close to the lough's southeastern shore, but, alas, can't be accessed. Still, it's visible from the shore. Its…
2.15 MILES
A 10-minute walk from a car park leads through pine-scented forest to this enigmatic court tomb. Dating from around 3000 BC, the crumbling structure is…
4.21 MILES
Immortalised by Yeats in 'The Fiddler of Dooney' (1899), this fissured limestone knoll bulges awkwardly upward by the lough's southern shore. There's a…
5.42 MILES
The poet WB Yeats is among those who've fallen for this 15m tumbling torrent, set in the most beautiful area of Lough Glencar – it features in his poem…
5.47 MILES
The Model houses an impressive collection of contemporary Irish art including works by Jack B Yeats (WB's brother and one of Ireland's most important…
5.52 MILES
This handsome Dominican friary was built around 1252 but burned down in the 15th century, to be later rebuilt. Friends in high places saved the abbey from…
5.63 MILES
The major draw of Sligo's small county museum is the Yeats room, which features photographs, letters and newspaper cuttings connected with WB Yeats. Also…
5.67 MILES
Erected in 1989, this abstract statue of Yeats – with broken glasses – in front of the 1863 Ulster Bank (a building he admired) is the source of much…