Last week (13/01/22) I did a walk connecting three of these four peaks. I was lucky enough to be joined by author and archaeologist Pádraig Meehan, who has researched and written about the whole Carrowmore complex, including the sunrise alignment phenomenon. I met Pádraig at the southern end of Ballygawley Lough (
A (G699 283)) and he guided me on the first section of the walk through the forest and onto the lower slopes of Slieve Dargan. He showed me a stone row in the forest known as Cloch an Ghadaí (the thief's stone), which actually consists of three standing stones known as the thief, the boy and the cow. He also gave me lot of information about the monuments that I would see later on the summits. When the track petered out, we parted and I headed on up to Cailleach a Bhearra's House, the first of the megalithic tombs and the most dramatic, since it is open from the sides and it is possible to look right into the chamber. From here there is panoramic view that includes Ballysadare Bay, Carrowmore, Knocknarea, Sligo Bay, the Dartry Mountains including Belbulbin, and the Bricklieve Mountains, site of another important megalithic cemetery at Carrowkeel. If you do come this way, please treat the monuments with respect and avoid moving stones or causing any damage. This article highlights how fragile they are and how substantial damage has been caused recently: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/sligo-s-neolithic-tombs-are-being-vandalised-on-scale-never-seen-before-1.
B (G431 091)4
From here it was only short pull up to Slieve Dargan, the second peak, which is surmounted by another tomb that is effectively a collapsed cairn. Slieve Daeane, the third peak, marginally higher than Slieve Dargan, is less than a kilometre further on as the crow flies, but lies across a fairly deep gap. I heard the 'cark-cark' of ravens from this gap, but the birds remained out of view. It may be technically possible to take a beeline, but the ground is fairly steep and rough, so I found it quicker to veer SE towards the Sligo Way, follow it for a short way and then branch off N following an obvious slanting shelf leading to the summit cairn of Slieve Daeane. From here you have a similar panorama but with a glimpse of Lough Gill between the hills to the N. There was pretty low cloud during my walk so visibility was limited and I could not see the tops of the Dartry range. I went down following the same shelf. When I reached the Sligo Way, I turned back and saw one raven fly across the gap, followed shortly after by another raven, which seemed the most appropriate ending to a walk on Sliabh Dá Éan, 'mountain of two birds'.
Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/978/comment/23390/
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