Angling at Lough Gill
There is more to Lough Gill than reflections about Yeats, it is an anglers paradise especially when angling crafty brown trout and salmon that will challenge your capabilities in the earlier part of the year. During February and March Lough Gill is where knowledgeable anglers come from far and near, spiced with many different accents and languages, to pit their wits against the wily salmon. The end of May is when the attempt to repair domestic damage begins, not a second before, but beware, the season carries on until September.
Information: Sligo Anglers Fishery, c/o, Ricky Fabozzi, Breeogue, Knocknahur, Sligo.
Tel.: (071) 9168404 086 6062073
Boatman: (071) 9134971
Sligo Anglers Association: Brian Conneely, 46,Abhainn mor, Cooloney, Co. Sligo. 087 9077795
Email: sligoanglers@hotmail,com.
Parkes Castle
The shore on Lough Gill is where Parkes Castle stands, wallowing in the history of the Planter and the Gael. The castle might more accurately be described as a fortified manor house constructed to withstand the problems of the plantation era. The castle was inherited, around 1610 by Sir Robert Parke who re-named it Newtown Castle setting up the permanent family residence.
It is open to the public from the end of March until late September and an admission fee of 5€ is charged for which the castle, and its exhibitions may be seen and audio visuals used, guided tours are available by appointment.
Address: Parkes Castle, Kilmore, Fivemilebourne, Co. Leitrim. F91 FP71. Ph. 071 9164149.
For more information: Heritage Ireland
Cycling and walking around Lough Gill
As there are many walking and cycling trails around the periphery of Lough Gill (8 x 2 km ) it follows that in such magnificent countryside of mountains, lakes, rivers. forests, fairies and stories the walking routes are full of magic and mysticism, should you want to find it. There are many stops to picnic, just sit and let the world pass by for an hour or if you have a Yeats fascination pick a spot of seclusion, alone, with a good view of Innisfree and let your mind run through his life, influences and the resulting poetry, it will be quite an experience.
For consideration: this poem was conceived from the imaginative thoughts of a man, who adored the mystic, walking on a busy Fleet Street in London in 1888. He knew, exactly, the islands size, the part it played in adding to the beauty of the area, the practicality of actually living there and, by now was engrossed in the conceptions of similar minded poets and poetic influences. What was his mystic self talking to him? Could his mysticism tell the future or was he unknowingly already finding a direction to help him deal with the trauma that would unfold the following year?
A cycling loop of 40km surrounds Lough Gill that walkers should take note of because, from it, are many walking trails bringing you to just about everything of interest and beauty in the area. A day will definitely not be sufficient time for exploration.
For more information on the Lough Gill cycle route see our page about it here
Boat trips on Lough Gill
If this seems like too much exercise there are boat trips available from Parkes Castle. The Rose of Innisfree does tours from here to Dromahair, to Sligo Town and around the lake to all the places of interest. it even goes to Innisfree. If you manage to land, try and work out where the cabin would have been built, bearing in mind the position of the son throughout the year and its best position for vegetable growth. As Yeats never constructed his dream home perhaps there’s a thought for a budding poet.
For details; Alan McGolderick, 087 259 8869. Rose of Inishfree