Overview
Slievemore is 671m (2,201ft), Achill’s second-highest summit after Croaghaun, its conical bulk hard to miss on the island’s north-west. Plenty of hikers climb it for the panorama, but be clear about what draws most people: not the top, but the Deserted Village on its southern slope – one of the most affecting historical sites in the west, and one that costs nothing to walk into. If you’ve a couple of hours, the village is the part to prioritise.
The village and the booleying tradition
The site’s origins reach back to the 12th century, in the Anglo-Norman period – not the 1800s, though most of the standing cottages are later. An archaeological survey counts 74 buildings still standing of an original 137, strung either side of an ancient pathway and almost all aligned north-south to shelter from the Atlantic; you’ll often see the whole thing described as 80 to 100 cottages over about a mile, which is near enough. A dolmen dating from around 400 BC sits close by, so people were living and burying their dead on this slope thousands of years before the cottages went up.
The reason the village outlived the Famine is booleying. When the blight forced families off their lowland ground in the 1840s, some adapted the old practice of transhumance: households from settlements like Dooagh and Pollagh used these cottages as summer dwellings, moving cattle up to the high pasture and letting the lowland fields recover for winter feed. Achill is thought to be one of the last places in Europe to have kept booleying alive – there were other booley villages on the island too, at Bunowna near Keem Bay and at Annagh – and here it survived within living memory.
Since the Achill Archaeological Field School opened in 1991, its summer camp has run excavations that turned up domestic pottery and field systems, and the ridge-and-furrow ‘lazy beds’ where families grew potatoes and oats still ripple across the ground beside the ruins.
What to see and do
Walk the Deserted Village
From the car park beside Slievemore Cemetery, a short unpaved path leads into the village. You can weave between the drystone walls, look into a few standing cottages, and follow the old track that linked them. It’s quiet, reflective work, best in early morning when low sun rakes across the foundations. Ninety-minute guided tours are available if you want the history filled in – note they cover uneven ground and don’t allow dogs.
Climb to the summit
If the legs want more, the ascent is a moderate hike up a steep-sided ridge of grass and exposed rock, best between March and October when it’s drier and clearer. From the top the whole scale of Achill opens out, the Atlantic to the west and the Mayo coast framing the view east. The slopes are heath, gorse and native grass, purpling with heather in summer.
Getting there
By car – from Achill Sound, head north-west on the N59, then take the R319 toward Doogort; signs point to Slievemore, and the cottages are a short walk from the car park by the cemetery.
Public transport – Bus Éireann route 450 serves Achill town, and from there a local taxi or community shuttle can reach the cemetery car park. Services thin out sharply outside summer, so check timetables.
Practical information
Parking and facilities – free parking at Slievemore Cemetery, on the road between Keel and Dugort, signposted for both the cemetery and the village. There’s a portaloo on site, and that’s it – bring your own water.
Access – the walk in is uneven, with loose scree and boggy patches after rain. No wheelchair or buggy access; wear boots with grip.
Safety – the summit trail isn’t technical, but parts of the ridge overlook steep drops, so stay on the path in wet weather and check the forecast. Achill weather turns fast; carry waterproofs.
Nearby
- Keel Beach – about five minutes north, 4km of golden sand and reliable surf.
- Dugort Beach – a Blue Flag strand a short drive on, sheltered and good for a swim.
- Keem Bay – 15 minutes west, cliffs and a lifeguarded beach at the end of a spectacular road.
- Minaun Heights – a drive up to one of the island’s best viewpoints over Keel Bay and the Atlantic.
Give the village and summit two to three hours together, and start early – both the light and the odds of a clear top are better in the morning.