A Local’s Guide to Knocknarea Mountain

If you’re visiting our hometown of Sligo, it’s likely you’ve done your research and have come across our beloved Knocknarea Mountain. Situated just a short drive, or even a walk from the Riverside Hotel, your visit to Sligo wouldn’t be complete without taking in this sacred heritage site. With all great things comes a mountain of responsibility and, something the locals are rightfully passionate about in Sligo is giving Knocknarea Mountain the respect it deserves. In this guide, we’re going to help visitors make the most of Knocknarea Mountain, the trail and Queen Maeve’s Cairn, all whilst being mindful to make choices that help preserve its greatness. 

Respecting Queen Maeve’s Cairn: A Sacred Site

Seated at the top of Knocknarea Mountain’s summit, you’ll find the legendary Queen Maeve’s Cairn - the Neolithic passage tomb that is 55 meters in diametres and 10 metres high, making it one of Ireland’s largest cairns. Being over 5,000 years old, it’s important that the site is preserved by anyone who visits - care should be taken to ensure that the site isn’t disturbed in any way, either by climbing on it or causing any vandalism. Locals also believe that it is supposedly bad luck to remove any of the stones, so, if not only for the sake of respecting the site, but also for maintaining your own streak of good luck, leave the stones where they belong!

The Legend of Queen Maeve: Warrior Queen of Connacht

For visitors who aren’t familiar with the legend of Queen Maeve, it’s always great to have some insights before you visit to give you a better understanding of the mythological beliefs behind the cairn itself. Queen Maeve, the famous Irish Warrior Queen, from over 2,000 years ago, was a fiercely independent ruler and there are plenty of wild myths that surround her.

One of the most famous is the tale of the Brown Bull of Cooley (Táin Bó Cúailnge) - a tale of power where Queen Maeve steals the brown bull from Ulster in an attempt to match her then husband's wealth and his own white-horned bull. On your visit to Knocknarea Mountain, you’ll find information boards dotted along Queen Maeve’s trail that will tell you the in depth history behind her expeditions and the legend she left behind.

It’s claimed that Queen Maeve was laid to rest at the top of Knocknarea, within the cairn - where it was said that her burial had her standing upright facing her enemies across the way in Ulster. Whether truth in the legend, or simply a mythological tale, it serves as a reminder that this site is sacred and should be treated as such by any visitors - helping to preserve the magic beyond the summit. 

Geological Marvel: The Formation of Knocknarea

Mythology and history aside, Knocknarea Mountain itself deserves accolades for its incredible geological formation, which came long before Queen Maeve’s reign - estimated over 300 million years ago.  Back then, this whole area was covered by a warm, shallow sea. As sea creatures like shellfish and coral died, their remains settled on the seafloor and slowly turned into limestone rock.

Over the course of millions of years, the earth shifted and caused the limestone to rise up and form the hill that is now a prominent part of Sligo’s landscape. The top of Knocknarea is made of hard limestone, which doesn’t wear away easily, making it the perfect platform to later construct the now-famous cairn.

Hiking the Queen Maeve Trail: A Step-by-Step Journey

Whilst there are various routes to the summit of Knocknarea Mountain, we’re going to walk you through one of the most popular routes that the area has become known for: Queen Maeve’s Trail which begins at the starting point near Sligo Rugby Club.

Known to be a fairly strenuous hike, you’ll want to come prepared with suitable walking shoes, water and any other equipment you may need for the hike. From the car park, you should hit a gravel path - fortunately, the route is well mapped out, with a very clear trail to follow making it easy to navigate.

From there, you can begin your ascent via the 500 wooden steps before meeting some gated sections that continue the incline before meeting the forested boardwalk further up. As you make your way through you’ll begin to see a clearing where you’ll catch your first glimpse of the Knocknarea summit. 

You’ll know you’ve reached your destination when you finally see the massive (and unmissable) Queen Maeve’s Cairn. After you explore the tomb, you’ll certainly want to take a moment to drink in the rewarding panoramic views that the summit has to offer. Looking out, you’ll see glimpses of Rosses Point, Coney Island and Benbulben - all well worth the strenuous hike to the top. 

Stay at Riverside Hotel: Your Gateway to Knocknarea

Once you’ve made your descent to the foot of Knocknarea Mountain, you’ll want nothing more than to rest up and take a well earned break. Fortunately, the Riverside Hotel is situated only moments away from the famed site, making our hotel the perfect location for you to spend your stay in Sligo. 

Sat on the water’s edge, many of our rooms have the added benefit of riverside views alongside the comfortable and welcoming decor. We also have on-site dining for you to fuel up either before or after your hike of Knocknarea Mountain and our team are on hand ready to give you any tips about immersing yourself in Sligo - where everything you’ll want to explore is right on the doorstep of The Riverside Hotel.