Bricklieve Mountains [An Bricshliabh]

About Bricklieve Mountains [An Bricshliabh]

Rising over the Sligo landscape, these limestone plateaus offer a haunting blend of archaeology and karst scenery. The terrain is defined by steep scarps and heather-clad tops, most famous for the ancient passage tombs of Carrowkeel. It’s an evocative walk where deep history meets expansive views over the nearby Lough Arrow.

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Did You Know?

• •The Irish name An Bricshliabh translates as 'the speckled mountains', a reference to how the hills once looked when white quartz stones from the Neolithic cairns were scattered across the slopes, catching the sun.
• •The range is home to the Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, a collection of fourteen Neolithic passage tombs. These stone cairns are roughly 5,000 years old, predating the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
• •From the summit plateaus, the view north-east is dominated by the shimmering waters of Lough Arrow, while the distinctive flat-topped profile of Benbulbin can often be seen on the northern horizon.
• •To the west lies the sister peak of Kesh Corran; from the slopes of the Bricklieves, you can clearly see the dark openings of the Caves of Kesh set into the limestone cliffs opposite.
• •Considering the summit is capped with over a dozen ancient tombs, you are technically never walking alone, though the permanent residents have been silent for five millennia and are notoriously unhelpful with navigation.