Overview
Mullaghmore is a village of 172 people wrapped around a stone harbour on the north Sligo coast, and for a few weeks each winter it draws some of the best big-wave surfers in the world. The pull is a reef off Mullaghmore Head that turns Atlantic swells into waves of 15 m and more. The rest of the year it is a quieter place: a 3 km crescent of sand, a working harbour, coastal walks, and the turreted outline of Classiebawn Castle on the headland, with the flat top of Benbulben filling the inland skyline.
History and heritage
The land was once part of a 12,000-acre estate granted to Sir John Temple in the 17th century. His descendant Lord Palmerston – twice British prime minister – left two lasting marks on the coast. The first is Classiebawn Castle, a Scottish-baronial pile designed by James Rawson Carroll and built between 1862 and 1874, though Palmerston died in 1865 and never saw it finished. Privately owned and closed to visitors, its conical turret is the shape everyone photographs here, and it stood in for a royal retreat in The Crown.
The second is the harbour. Built between 1822 and 1841 to plans by the Scottish engineer Alexander Nimmo, it was meant to shelter the local fishing fleet; Nimmo himself died in 1832, well before it was done. It is still a working harbour, and still open to walk.
The darkest chapter came on 27 August 1979, when the IRA detonated a bomb on Lord Mountbatten’s boat as it left the harbour. Mountbatten – a regular summer resident at Classiebawn – was killed, along with his grandson Nicholas Knatchbull, the Dowager Lady Brabourne, and Paul Maxwell, a teenage local working on the boat. A memorial to the lost famine-era village of Mullach Gearr was unveiled nearby in 2017. The historian and folklorist Joe McGowan, a Mullaghmore native, has done as much as anyone to record all this.
What to see and do
The beach
The 3 km strand is backed by dunes and, being sheltered, is generally safe for swimming, windsurfing and kayaking through the warmer months. Lifeguards are on duty from June to September. It is a reliable family beach; check the Sligo County Council website for current bathing-water status before you swim.
Mullaghmore Head and the reef
North of the village the peninsula narrows to a low, rocky headland. The reef break offshore – nicknamed ‘Prowlers’, and called ‘Ireland’s scariest slab’ by Surfer magazine – produces some of the heaviest waves in Europe, mostly between October and March, and it is strictly for expert big-wave surfers. Be honest with yourself about the water here: the currents are strong and the rocks unforgiving. On a calm summer day the headland is a fine walk with nothing breaking at all, which catches a lot of visitors out.
The harbour and coastal walk
A stroll along the quay puts you among the fishing boats and the big stone piers. For something longer, an 8 km loop links the beach, the pier and Mullaghmore Head, with views out to Donegal Bay, Slieve League, Classiebawn and Benbulben; allow one to two hours. It is good ground for birdwatching and for watching the Atlantic come in.
Practical information
- Getting there: Mullaghmore is about 25 km north of Sligo town. Take the N15 north and turn onto the R279 at Cliffoney; Wild Atlantic Way signs point the rest of the way.
- Public transport: TFI Local Link route 982 (Ballyshannon–Sligo) serves the village, with five buses a day Monday to Saturday and three on Sunday. The nearest Bus Éireann stop is at Cliffoney, about 5 km away.
- Parking: Free car parks at the north and south ends of the beach. They fill fast on summer weekends, so come early.
- Seasons: Summer (June–August) is best for swimming and walking. Winter (November–February) is big-wave season and the sea can be lethal; leave the reef to the experts.
- Access and facilities: The harbour, beach and paths are free. Classiebawn cannot be toured but photographs well from the public road. There are public toilets near the harbour and a small shop for basics and board hire.
If you have a day, walk the headland loop, poke around the harbour, and time it for late afternoon when the light comes off the sea and lifts the castle and Benbulben. Get there before midday in summer if you want to park.