Next to Benbulben, one of the major features of the Sligo landscape is the unmistakable outline of Knocknarea, with the cairn, said to be the grave of the mythical Queen Maeve, sitting on the flat top of the mountain. Many stories surround this mountain and the grave on it’s top and although it is one of the largest cairns in Ireland, it has never been opened despite that fact that it is believed to contain a passage tomb.
History and Mythology at Knocknarea
Knocknarea or in Irish “Cnoc na Rí” meaning hill of the kings, has six other smaller burial mounds on it’s summit, one believed to be that of the warrior king of Connaught, Eoghan Bell. The sheer size of the main cairn however, would imply that only someone of the greatest importance is buried there, given the intensity of the labour involved in building it.
There are several walking routes to the summit, the shortest starting at the car park on the maps on the Sligo Walks page. A short steep 1.2km climb will bring you to the cairn. A longer trail starts in Strandhill and leads up through forests before ascending the wooden steps to the summit. Be prepared for the last section – it is quite steep.