Overview
Drumcliffe’s churchyard holds two things people drive north from Sligo to see: the grave of W.B. Yeats, and a sandstone high cross thought to be the only one in Ireland to carry a carving of the Virgin and Child. They sit eight kilometres north of Sligo town on the N15, under the flat top of Benbulben, on ground that has been a place of worship since the sixth century. It’s free, open all year, and you can take in the core of it in under an hour.
One thing to know before you go: Sligo’s only round tower is not in the churchyard but in a walled enclosure across the N15, and there is no pedestrian crossing. The traffic moves fast on the Donegal road – cross with care, or skip it and view the tower from the church side.
A Landscape of Faith and Verse
St Colmcille (St Columba) founded a monastery here around AD 574, on land granted by Áed mac Néill, son of the King of Ireland, with St Thorian as its first abbot. The Irish name Droim Chliabh translates to “ridge of the baskets,” likely a nod to the wicker or osier baskets woven by the early monks. The settlement had a hard history – plundered in 1187, the abbey burned in 1416 – but it left behind a sandstone high cross carved around 1100 and a round tower built in the 11th century.
The round tower was struck by lightning in 1396, and its upper section was taken down before 1836 to provide stone for a nearby bridge; about 9 metres of it survives, in its enclosure across the road. In 1809, the Board of First Fruits replaced earlier wooden chapels with the current Neo-Gothic St Columba’s Church. The churchyard remained in active use, preserving its ancient monuments alongside modern graves.
Yeats died in France on 28 January 1939; his remains were repatriated by the Irish Naval Service and re-interred at Drumcliffe in September 1948, at his own request. The grave is a plain limestone slab carrying his self-written epitaph from Under Ben Bulben: “Cast a cold eye on life, on death. Horseman, pass by!” A 30-minute audio guide, available in six languages, covers the monastic site, the cross and the poet’s ties to the Sligo landscape.
Walking the Churchyard
The grounds are compact and easy to navigate, with level paths suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. Key features to look out for include:
- The high cross: Carved from local sandstone around 1100, it reads almost like a stone bible – Adam and Eve, Daniel in the lions’ den, David killing Goliath, the Crucifixion. It is thought to be the only high cross in Ireland to depict the Virgin and Child, and lower down there’s a four-legged beast often read as a camel, which tends to catch younger visitors’ eyes.
- St Columba’s Church: The 1809 church holds 19th-century stained glass and fragments of earlier cross shafts. A side ramp gives wheelchair access to the nave.
- Pink Clover Café and Teach Bán: The Pink Clover Café, opened in 2022 by Michelle and Wesley Kelly, does home baking and a raspberry-lemon water kefir – the name nods to Yeats’ favourite cocktail, the Pink Clover Club. Next to it, the artist-run Teach Bán gallery (10am–5pm daily, April to September) sells jewellery, prints and photography, and runs workshops and occasional live music.
Practical Information
- Opening hours: The churchyard and high cross are accessible 24 hours a day, year-round, as is the round tower in its enclosure across the road. St Columba’s Church opens daily during the peak visitor season; the visitor centre café and shop run 9am–5pm (to 6pm in summer). Check the village website for current times.
- Admission: Free entry to all the outdoor monuments and the churchyard.
- Facilities: Toilets are at the visitor centre and cost €0.50 for non-café customers. The café and gallery stock local crafts and Yeats poetry.
- Visitor tips: Summer mornings offer the clearest light on Benbulben and fewer crowds. The churchyard paths are paved and level, but if you plan to extend your walk to the Benbulben Forest Walk, bring sturdy footwear and a light layer, as weather on the slopes can shift quickly. Dogs are welcome on leads.
Getting There & Parking
Drumcliffe is off the N15, about eight kilometres north of Sligo town – a ten-minute drive, or Bus Éireann routes 480 and 483 stop at Drumcliffe Cross, two minutes’ walk away. Free parking is in a designated layby directly beside the churchyard entrance.
Time it for a clear morning if you can: that’s when Benbulben shows best and the coachloads have not yet arrived. Half an hour does the churchyard and cross; add another half-hour for the café and gallery before you carry on up the coast to Lissadell or Mullaghmore.