In the area around Ballygawley, beside Union Wood on the shore of Ballygawley Lake, stands an ink bottle sculpture hand-carved from Kilkenny limestone. It depicts two swans in the water and a large feather transforming into flying birds. The artwork makes a striking feature among the forest, lake and other discoveries around Ballygawley.
Music festival in the village
The Ballygawley Music Festival takes place over four days each year in the village of Ballygawley, County Sligo. It combines traditional Irish music with pop and contemporary performances, and is aimed at people aged 18 and over. This gives visitors to Ballygawley a specific event to plan their stay around.
If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates, age requirements and programme genres for the relevant edition. The four-day duration provides a framework for planning your stay, but does not indicate a specific number of overnight stays.
Forest trails and hiking options
Union Wood lies between the villages of Collooney, Ballisodare and Ballygawley and is a popular walking route. Another option is the Union Wood–Mountain Access Route, which follows forest roads and woodland trails through Ballygawley Woods, past Ballygawley Lough and onwards into open mountain country. A walk in the forest and a route that leads beyond it therefore differ mainly in their course and the types of path described.
Section 6 of the Sligo Way also runs through Union Wood and along Slieve Dargan and Slieve Daeane. Elsewhere along the Sligo Way, the regional route alternates between woodland trails and bridleways, quiet minor roads and open bogland paths; some sections are often wet and boggy. Trail conditions can change, so check them before setting out.
Union Rock offers a different view of the landscape: a wooden boardwalk leads to its summit, where views stretch towards Knocknarea and Benbulben. The Ballygawley mountain range around the village also includes four Neolithic monuments in the form of passage tombs, each on one of its highest peaks.
Nature and Yeats connections
Union Wood includes a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and is considered one of the region’s largest remaining areas of native oak woodland. The forest is also associated with Cailleach Bérra, whom W. B. Yeats called Clooth-na-Bare. Station 12 of the Yeats Trail is also located at Ballygawley Lake. The landscape, literary connections and archaeological remains offer different points of interest to explore around the village.
At Ballygawley Lake and in the Community Park
Ballygawley Lake is a breeding area for swans; their nests can be seen from the only car park. The car park, which has a picnic area, also offers a place to launch a kayak or start a SUP tour. Check local conditions on the water in advance.
Ballygawley Community Park has a lit circular route that can be used in the evening, as well as a running track and outdoor fitness equipment. Details of the facilities may change, so check before visiting. The park’s amenities therefore differ from the nearby forest and mountain trails: here, the focus is on the circular route and exercising in the park.
If the festival is the reason for your trip, plan around the dates of the relevant edition; for outdoor excursions, trail and water conditions are practical considerations.
Discover more destinations: Templeboy, Cloonacool, Streedagh, Castlebaldwin, Cloghboley, Barroe, Ballymote, Carney.
For the broader travel overview: County Sligo.
