The trail goes through historic Brackloon Wood, this is a typical Atlantic oak woodland of 74 hectares dominated by sessile oak.. It represents one of the last remaining areas of Atlantic Oakwood in Ireland and is of significant national and international importance. Many stories about caves, hidden treasure and ancient monuments are told about the wood. King Conor MacNeasa and the Red Branch Knights are reputed to have ridden along the secluded road winding its way through the hills and woods to the coast. In 1998 there was extensive research carried out in the Brackloon area to identify distinctive stages in vegetation development since the last ice age. According to fossil pollen at Brackloon Lough, tall shrub and open woodland of birch and willow were flourishing from 9, 000 BC. From 7,000 BC to 4,500BC, the expansion of deciduous woodland such as hazel, elm, oak and birch became very prevalent. It was not until 1,200BC that human interference is suggested due to the decline in elm, oak and alder. This also coincides with an increase in human activity in the greater Clew Bay area. The dominance of this natural woodland over several thousand years suggests there were small population numbers in the […]

The enclosing element is best defined between the west and south west. Here, it survives as a broad bank of earth and stone, 5 to 6 metres in width and averaging 1.2 metres high internally and externally. Some later rubble has been dumped on the bank in places. Between the south west and north west, the enclosing element is enclosed by a later field fence. but there is still a drop from the site to the outer field level. No clear trace of the enclosing element can be seen elsewhere. The ancient Church of Drum was the seat of the Parish of Drum. It is believed that St. Patrick built the first church here in 440CE  of timber construction. Over the years a stone church (possibly medieval) was built which fell into disrepair in the 1800s. In 1871, local people decided to build a new church, but sadly their wish was never fulfilled, and all that remains of the old church is one wall aligned east-west. Around the old church are many gravestones dating back to the 1700s. The construction of a cashel, the remains of which can still be seen west of the graveyard, further marked the importance of […]

Just off the trail is the ruin of Templeshaunaglasha, or ‘Church of John of the Dykes’. This was an old church in Ballybourke that has not been used  since 1562. Only a partial wall remains, but the walls were originally nearly one metre thick. The church had covered a space of 18 metres by 5 metres. It is possible that this was a resting place for pilgrims on the original Tóchar Pádraig. There is a Killeen surrounding the church, giving the location another name, ‘Kileendirimh’, or ‘the little graveyard or church of the wastes’.

This church ruin is said to have been erected by St Patrick. Called Teampall na bhFiachal, or ‘the Church of the Teeth’, it gets its name from a line of rocks resembling teeth, visible from the church. The remains of the church reveal that the church was built after the arrival of St Patrick. Local legend says, however, that the church was built on the site of a smaller structure, local folklore also says the bell from the original structure lies under the surrounding bog. The founder of the church is said to be St Senach, the Bishop of Aughagower who lived in the 7th Century CE.

This Neolithic Art Carving, consisting of Cup and Ringmarks, is known locally as St. Patrick’s Chair. The large natural outcrop of rock is on the eastern approach to Croagh Patrick. The Boheh stone is almost totally covered in carvings, consisting primarily of cupmarks, many enclosed by one or more circles, while there are also several patterns known as keyhole motifs – a style of art dating from the Bronze Age. In 1991, local historian Gerry Bracken discovered a unique event now known as ‘The Rolling Sun’. Seen from the rock, the sun appears to set on the summit of Croagh Patrick and then proceeds to roll down the right hand (northern) slope of the mountain. This event occurs biennially at the Spring Equinox and Autumn Equinox, marking obviously important sowing and harvesting times of the prehistoric era.

Croagh Patrick has been associated with ritual religious observance for thousands of years – and still is today. Unique in an Irish and European context, there is the physical evidence of both a major later-prehistoric and early-historic ritual, ceremonial and defensive focus. There is also an unbroken pilgrimage tradition stretching back into the depths of recorded history.  The main day of pilgrimage is the last Sunday in July (‘Reek Sunday’). It is believed the earliest Christians arrived in Ireland some 400 years after the birth of Christ. At this time, Ireland was deeply submerged in pagan ritual and tradition. Before association with St Patrick, the Reek (as it is known locally) was called Cruachan Agli, roughly translated as ‘the hill of the eagle’. According to tradition, Patrick fasted for 40 days as penance on Croagh Patrick, and it is from here that he’s believed to have banished the snakes from Ireland.

The ‘Blessed Well’ dates back to St. Mochua (Cronan) who founded the first monastic settlement at Balla in the year 616A.D.  The Well of ‘The Blessed Mother of God’, as it described on the slab of the Rest house, drew crowds of up to 15,000 at its peak in the 19th century. The Balla Blessed Well pilgrimage lasted from the 15th August to 18th September. On the wall to the west of the well, there was once a stone with a Latin inscription.  In English, the inscription reads as follows – “We fly under patronage O Holy Mother of God. The Parish Priest of the Well of the Gods Mother of Balla had me affirmed here. 25th March 1696 P.R.O.”  This stone slab is currently to be found in the Rest House beside the well.

Near the Holy Well in Balla, there are the remains of an old Rest House. It was used to house pilgrims throughout the 19th century.  The pilgrimage took place from August 15th to September 18th  The Rest House was also a refuge for the blind or ill. In the house, there were once two little pillars, of mason work, on top of which are two small stone crosses with inscriptions on them dated back to 1733.  Both inscriptions are written in English and underneath them are the words ‘Sub tuum presidium fugimus, sancta dei genitrix’, meaning ‘Under your protection, we fly, Holy Mother of God’. In the Stone walls of the Rest House, during spring and summer, there is a plant in bloom known as St Patrick’s Cabbage, which normally blooms in alpine areas.

The Early Ecclesiastical Enclosure at Loona contains the ruins of Loona church, as well as a children’s burial ground. A water hole was excavated within the area, which the landowner claimed to be a spring well and which has since been filled in. The children’s burial ground is situated roughly in the middle of the enclosure, though no trace of burials or grave markers is now visible. The only remaining evidence of Loona Church is its south wall, which stands almost 2.5 metres in height, and some stone debris nearby.

The Land League held a rally on this field to bring national attention to evictions in general, and to protest the eviction of the Dempsey’s in Loona. Charles Stewart Parnell, a mayor figure in the land reform movement, was said to be in attendance that day. The Dempsey’s were not evicted on the day of the rally, although the eviction was executed a few days later, after the attention had died down.

The remains of  Guesdian Castle can be seen atop the hill while standing in Guesdian Graveyard.  The opposite side of the castle ruin, which cannot be seen from the Trail, is in the shape of a great arch.  The castle stands 20ft wide inside. The castle is said to have originally been rectangular, but today, only the remains of the east and west walls are standing connected by the remains of the roof. Guesdian castle was a Burke castle, and in 1574, it was occupied by Riocard an Iarainn, legendarily known as Iron Dick.  He was the husband of the famous pirate queen, Grainne Uaille (Grace O Malley) and the father of Tiobóid na Long, who was shot by his own brother-in-law and is now buried in Ballintubber Abbey.

The oldest, and at one time the largest fair in Mayo, was known as the Fair at Doonamona.  The Fairs were held on the 26th of May and the 17th of October. The Fairs at Doonamona were large and well attended. They presented an opportunity for the local community to buy and sell stock.  Tents were set up so that the vendors could offer sugar cane, sweets, biscuits and drinks. These events brought the communities of Clogher and Belcarra together.  It said that many young ladies, hoping to catch the eye of a wealthy farmer, would parade around the fairground in their Sunday best.

After the Fortlawn Ringfort, the trail comes to Fortlawn Cottage. Two pillars mark the beginning of the driveway, known as the ‘’Pineapple Pillars’’.  Fortlawn Cottage, believed to have beenbuilt around 1748, is the oldest house remaining in residential use in Clogher. Built as a thatch cottage, the original residents and builders are unknown. The earliest known residents of the house were the Mulrooney’s. Mrs. Mulrooney was known as a great herbalist and looked to Fortlawn Wood to create many of her cures. In 1945, Mulroonys sold the house to Joe Blowick, who was Minister of Agriculture at the time.  In 1962, Padraig and Bernie McGreal moved into the cottage, remaining there to this day.

Described as a Cross Slab dating c.900A.D., this is the broken remains of a cross-inscribed slab, carved from sandstone. Part of the central bosse, the left hand arm and part of the stem are all that are visible today. As your face the slab in its present location (eastern end of the old graveyard at Drum), the top and left hand side are intact, with breaks having occurred at the base and right hand side. The breaks appear very clear. At the base, it has broken in a chamfer type feature. An examination of the graveyard to date has failed to uncover the remainder of this impressive slab.

This forge in Newtown has been completely rebuilt from a ruin by the efforts of a local FÁS CE (Community Employment) Scheme in 1999. The site and ruin were donated by the Staunton Family of Ballyheane. The old forge was in the Staunton family since the 19th century. Patrick Staunton, head of the household, was listed in the 1901 census as a ‘Blacksmith and Farmer’. Patrick’s son, Richard, was also listed as a blacksmith. John Staunton, who died in 1980, was the last of the Stauntons to operate the Forge.

This is an excellent example of a uni-vallate ringfort in good condition. The interior is subdivided by a low wall running east to west, while to the south there is a broad earthen bank dividing the holding into two additional parts. The enclosing bank averages 0.3 metres internally and 1.4 metres high externally. Hazel trees grow on the edge and interior. The only clear entrance is a gap along the west side, but this might only be the result of interference from livestock etc. Ringforts, usually identified as a circular earthen bank, are mainly Iron Age single family settlements. Larger ringforts may have contained several family units and may have two or more banks (bi-vallate or multi-vallate). Forts with more than one bank may have been an indicator of the inhabitant’s status or that the threat of attack was greater in some areas.

Referred to as the ‘Old Mill’, the building is located on the river Aille. The mill was built in the 19th century by Lord Avonmore and was used for grinding corn or milling flour. The mill was forced to close due to a dispute between Avonmore and another local landlord, Lord Lynch Bosse. The dispute was over who owned the land either side of the river. Even building a canal to the mill was not enough to supply water to the mill and it consequently became abandoned.

Crannogs are man-made islands, usually located in marshy areas or small lakes. They could be accessed from the surrounding mainland by use of submerged causeways or small boats. They were built for homesteads or used as cattle pens and safe houses. During the time of the Celts, cattle were the main unit of currency and therefore were very valuable. Cattle were often stolen in cattle raids and crannogs were one method of cattle protection.

Ballybourke Castle is situated just beyond the Aille River and Pollatomarry Cave. Built by the deBurgos, a Norman family, it is said to have been situated in a straight line with two other castles – Macphilbins in Toberoonan and Castleburke, allowing them to signal to each other.

This was formed due to the roof cave collapsing, with some parts collapsing around 1959. If you follow it around to the left, you come to the Aille cliffs and caves. During periods of rain the water rises, making entrance to the cave dangerous. According to the annals of Loch Ce, in 1063 A.D., 160 people were hiding in the caves for safety and were suffocated – reportedly with the jewels of Connacht. Before and during penal times mass was held here in secret, to be caught was to risk the death penalty. Watchmen were placed on the cliffs to spot the authorities.

This standing stone is 7ft high. On the west face is a cross with a V-shaped ornament beneath it, and on the east face is a cross and four concentric circles; the stone possibly dates to the Bronze Age period but was Christianised at some later time. The area boasts a cultivated woodland of native oaks, a bronze age standing stone, a penal mass rock, a monastic settlement and burial chamber. The name Lankill itself is translated into Irish as Lainn Cille (Land of the Church). Joyce, in his Names of Places, said ‘The word Lann is Irish but in its ecclesiastical application it was borrowed from Welsh. The purpose of standing stones is unclear; some are thought to be boundary/territorial markers, ritual or ceremonial sites, possible burial sites or part of an astrological alignment.

Also known as potato ridges, these are physical remains of the Great Famine that began in 1845, causing nearly ten years of starvation, disease and emigration. Land holdings were very small, due to unscrupulous landlords, and 62% of families had only one to fifteen acres each to cultivate. During British occupation, the landlords required tenants to grow crops for export on the good land, and the Irish were forced to utilise poorer soils. The potato was the only suitable crop. Potato blight swept the country, causing crops to fail and subsequent starvation, especially in the West of Ireland.

Though not directly on the trail, one archaeological location in Murrisk includes the following interesting Bronze Age feature, near the base of Croagh Patrick on the eastern shore of Clew Bay. Five large stones lie directly in alignment with the sun as it comes down into a niche on the eastern shoulder of Croagh Patrick. This happens on the Winter Solstice on December 21st. Other features here suggest this was a major ceremonial site, there are more stones surrounded by a large enclosure. Folk tales associate the site with Queen Maeve, the Celtic queen of the West of Ireland.

This Monument was unveiled in July 1997 by then President of Ireland, Mary Robinson – it was created by Dublin born Sculptor John Behan (born 1938). Cast in bronze, it depicts a coffin ship, the sails of which are fashioned like skeletons, representing the terrible, deadly plight of the famine stricken people from the time. In 2001 a similar monument was unveiled in New York close to the United Nations. On that ship is a plank depicting survivors entering America.