Overview
The thing to get straight before you come: Aughris beach is stony, not sandy. If you’ve pictured a wide golden strand, that’s Dunmoran, round the headland. What Aughris Head gives you instead is a short, properly interesting cliff walk and one of the best old pubs on this coast. The headland carries the highest sea cliffs in Sligo – about 30 metres – and looks out across Sligo Bay to Benbulben and the Ox Mountains. It’s a thirty-minute drive from Sligo town, well off the busier Wild Atlantic Way stops.
If you do one thing here, walk the loop and finish at the Beach Bar. The history packed into 4 km is the draw, not the swimming.
Walking the headland loop
The coastal loop is about 4 km and takes 60 to 90 minutes depending on how long you stand at the views. It’s graded easy – no real climbs, a few kissing gates, trainers are fine in dry weather – and waymarked with red arrows from the Beach Bar car park. Note that dogs aren’t allowed on the farmland section, so this isn’t one for the family dog.
Key stops along the route include:
- Aughris promontory fort – An Iron Age earthwork on the cliff edge, known locally as O’Toole’s Castle and tied to a legend of buried Viking treasure. The ramparts give wide views back across Sligo Bay.
- St Patrick’s Well – An early Christian holy well that was still used for Mass during the Penal Laws, when Catholic worship was driven outdoors. A quiet place to stop.
- Lookout Post No. 67 – A concrete observation post built during the Emergency to watch the Atlantic shipping lanes. Like the others ringing the coast, it’s a stark little box with a big view.
- Deserted village – Low stone foundations and old field walls, all that’s left of a farming clachán abandoned as livelihoods shifted.
- Sea caves – The trail dips towards coves with sea caves, but these are only safely reached at low tide. Check the tide tables and don’t get cut off.
The ground is uneven with steep drop-offs near the edge, so keep back from the lip in high wind or after rain.
Two beaches, two different days
The coast here gives you a choice. Aughris beach is mainly stones and open to the Atlantic – it can be rough and windy, and it’s better for a blustery walk and a poke around the pier than for a swim. Dunmoran Strand, the next bay south, is the sandy one: backed by dunes, more sheltered, and the better bet if you’ve children or want to get in the water.
There’s plenty to do beyond walking. The Beach Bar runs a surf school, and the bay sees surfing, swimming, fishing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, with mackerel and pollack off the pier and rocks. Whatever you’re doing in the water, check the tide and the forecast first – this is an exposed headland, not a sheltered cove.
Wildlife
Grey seals haul out on the rocky ledges around the headland, and the cliffs hold nesting seabirds, gulls and razorbills among them. Early morning or late evening, when the coast is quiet and the light is low, is the best time to catch them.
The Beach Bar
The thatched Beach Bar at Aughris Head is the reason a lot of people drive out at all. It’s a genuine working pub rather than a put-on tourist stop, with food, a decent drinks list, B&B rooms upstairs and a beer garden facing the Atlantic for the sunset. Near the end of the trail, Loveen’s Tasty Treats sells ice cream and pastries in season. Public toilets are at the pub.
Getting there and practical info
By car – From Sligo town it’s about 30 minutes: the R291 west, then the R284 for roughly 12 km, with signs for the Beach Bar at the end. The final roads are narrow and winding, and not suitable for coaches.
By public transport – This is awkward without a car. The nearest stop is Easky village; from there it’s about 3 km to the headland by taxi or on foot. Check current Bus Éireann timetables before relying on it.
Parking – Parking is limited. The Beach Bar car park is the usual starting point, with a handful of spaces (about five cars) down at Aughris Pier and more room over at Dunmoran Strand. On a fine summer weekend, come early or be ready to park awkwardly on the verge.
Safety and tides – The sea caves are only safe at low tide, so check the tables and don’t let the water cut you off. Keep back from the cliff edge in high wind or wet.
Nearby
- Aughris Head – The wider headland, with more coastal path and historic sites.
- Dunmoran Beach – The sandy, more sheltered strand just south – the better swimming and surfing beach.
- Culleenamore Strand – A Blue Flag beach a short drive north, good for windsurfing and tidal flats.
- Ballygilgan Nature Reserve – A wetland good for birdwatching, about 15 km inland.
Time your visit to low tide and a dry-ish day, walk the loop, and have your pint at the Beach Bar with the Atlantic in front of you – that’s the whole point of Aughris.