The Lake and the Legend
Lough Gill (Irish: Loch Gile) is the lake W.B. Yeats made famous without ever quite naming it: the ‘Lake Isle of Innisfree’ is one of its roughly twenty wooded islands. It runs about 8 km east to west and 2 km across, 31 m deep at the deepest point, straddling the Sligo–Leitrim border and ringed with oak woods below Slieve Killery, with Knocknarea and the Ox Mountains rising beyond.
The lake takes its name from Gile, a maiden of Irish legend said to be the daughter of Romra; the old tales bind her to the water, though the versions don’t agree on the details. Yeats returned to this landscape again and again, from The Lake Isle of Innisfree to The Fiddler of Dooney, and it still draws readers as much as walkers.
Dooney Rock Loop Walk
The Dooney Rock loop is the most popular short walk on the lake. It’s 1.2 km, starting from a car park off the R286 south-east of town and climbing a steep little rise of about 30 m through conifers to a rocky outcrop above the water. The climb is brief and the return gentle, so it suits families and casual walkers.
The top gives a clean panorama across the lake and its islands: Church Island with its abbey ruins, Cottage Island (locally Beezie’s Island), and Innisfree itself. This is the ‘Fiddler of Dooney’ rock, the ridge Yeats tied to the poem, though don’t expect much signage to tell you so. Allow 30 to 60 minutes depending on how long you stop for photographs. The path is well marked, but the lakeshore sections can be uneven, so wear proper shoes if the ground is wet.
Hazelwood, the water and the islands
For a flatter walk, the Hazelwood sculpture trail loops 3.2 km through mature oak woodland right on the shore, past thirteen outdoor sculptures by Irish and international artists. It’s free, level enough for most, and takes about an hour.
To get out on the lake, the Rose of Innisfree runs boat trips from Easter to October, leaving from Doorly Park in Sligo town and from Parke’s Castle. From Doorly Park the boat threads 30 minutes down the Garavogue before it even reaches open water; the full trip lasts about an hour, with a running commentary on the islands and the Yeats connections. In summer the lake also hosts an annual 10 km open-water swim in aid of the North West Hospice, and its brown trout and spring salmon bring anglers out from the opening of the season.
Wildlife and flora
The woods and shoreline are a Special Area of Conservation, protecting habitats including alluvial woodland and orchid-rich calcareous grassland. The most remarkable resident is a plant: the Mediterranean strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) grows on the lake shores here in the world’s northernmost population of the species, and in Ireland it can reach 15 m. Herons and kingfishers work the water margins, and the oak woods hold the usual run of woodland birds.
Islands and Heritage Sites
Lough Gill’s islands can be reached by boat in the tourist season, for a closer look at the lake’s history.
- Church Island: an early monastic site with the ruins of a medieval church, associated in tradition with Saint Lommán of Trim.
- Cottage Island (Beezie’s Island): inhabited into the mid-20th century; the ruins of the cottage and its gardens remain, a quiet record of island life.
- Innisfree: the small, wooded island behind Yeats’s The Lake Isle of Innisfree, easy to romanticise and, in the flesh, genuinely modest.
On the north shore stands Parke’s Castle, a restored 17th-century plantation manor built by an English settler on the site of an earlier O’Rourke tower. It’s now a Heritage Ireland visitor centre (about €5 in), with exhibits on the plantation and the ecology of the lake, and it doubles as one of the boat-trip piers. A little to the south, the Tobernalt Holy Well is a long-standing devotional site in a wooded glen, still used for occasional open-air services.
Getting There and Practical Tips
The Dooney Rock car park is signposted off the R286 south-east of Sligo town, roughly 7 km out. There are other places to park if you’re stringing walks together: Hazelwood Forest, Slish Wood, Inishfree Pier, Shriff Bay, Aughamore, and near the Garavogue outflow.
- Cost: Free to walk the shore and trails; Parke’s Castle and the boat trips are charged separately.
- Dogs: Allowed on a lead.
- Facilities: Limited at the trailheads, so bring what you need; the nearest full facilities are in Sligo town.
- Respect the area: Much of the shore is a protected conservation zone, so stay on the marked paths and keep clear of nesting birds.
Pack a lunch for the top of Dooney Rock; it’s the best seat on the lake. If the islands are the draw, book the Rose of Innisfree ahead, as it only runs from Easter to October.