Glens to Sea
Glens to Sea is a voluntary heritage group that was set up in 2012. They straddle 40 townlands in North Sligo and Leitrim. This Spring they have consisted of conversations covering various topics including farming, community development and life on the Wild Atlantic Way.
I decided to go on part of the Glens to Sea drive which starts in Drumcliffe where you can visit the grave of the famous poet WB Yeats. You can also see the Round Tower which dates to the 10th/11th century.
If you are hungry there’s the Drumcliffe Tea House which have lovely food (I recommend the banoffee pie!) There is also a wide variaty of gifts.
Back in the car and it was on to Grange where there is a lovely park to stretch your legs or for the little ones to play.
I took a little detour in Grange and headed to Streedagh beach as it was such a fantastic day. You can just about see Classiebawn Castle in Mullaghmore in this photo.
After a quick walk along the beach it was back in the car and again I took a little detour and went down to Milk Harbour which is just off the main N15 road.
On to Cliffony where there is meant to be a lovely beach…which I’ve yet to find! I’m told it’s a nudist beach so maybe it’s just as well I haven’t found it! I love the mural on the side of O’Donnell’s pub.
From Cliffony it’s a short drive to Mullaghmore where if you are lucky you’ll see some of the biggest waves in europe where surfers from all over the world come to take to the waves. There were no surfers yesterday but Mullaghmore is fantastic anyway.
The next stop on the Glens to Sea route is Tullaghan which I’m ashamed to say I’ve never visited before.
I’ve no idea what the little building is on the right of the photo or if you can walk to it but if anyone in Tullaghan can let me know I’d be grateful.
I also took a little break at St. Patrick’s Well. I’d love to know more about this too. After a short drive to Kinlough it was on to Glenade. I did follow a sign for the Glenade Lake drive which I would have loved to have driven along but someone must have changed the direction of the sign and I ended up back on the N15 so I just turned around and headed in the direction of Manorhamilton.
I did find Glenade but not the lake drive I’d hoped for. It is a really beautiful place though and I’d love to spend longer looking around it.
It was a particular treat to see an old Irish phone box along the roadside at Glenade – you don’t see many of them around anymore.
Glenade Lake is stunning too. It is said a monster used to live in the lake and you can read all about it on Sligo Heritage.
The next stop after Glenade is Manorhamilton. I’ve been there many times but I never knew there was a castle there! Again this is something I will have to find out more about and I think I need to explore the whole of Leitrim as there is so much I haven’t seen.
The final stop was Glencar. I’ve been here many times but you can never have too many photos of the fantastic waterfall. There is some work going on at there at the moment probably in preparation for the new coffee shop that will be open soon so part of the walk way is closed although you can still get up to the waterfall. After a look at the lake and a cuppa from the ice cream van it was time for me to head back to Sligo.