W.B. Yeats is Ireland’s national poet and one of the most significant writers worldwide of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Born in Dublin, he spent much of his formative years in Sligo, where he would frequently visit his mother’s relatives, often for extended periods of time. As an adult, he also returned, drawing inspiration from many of the places described on this website.
We devised the Yeats Trail to provide the visitor with a route they could travel between some of the best known and best loved locations mentioned in Yeats’s poetry. By clicking on the link to each page, you’ll find information, directions, photos and more relating to its connection with Yeats, and why he continued to visit these places over many years.
The route is a looped one, and for convenience we begin at the foot of Knocknarea, taking a coastal path towards Rosses Point. From here we go inland to Drumcliffe – Yeats’s final resting place – before visiting Lissadell, Ben Bulben and Glencar, places that are synonymous with some of his best loved poetry and writing.
From here we go around Lough Gill, taking in well known locations like Hazelwood and Dooney Rock, including spectacular views towards the Lake Isle of Innisfree. The final section of the Trail brings us to Ballisodare and on to Glen Wood, from where you can return to Sligo Town.
While we have mapped out the Trail in possibly the most efficient way of getting around each site, of course you can visit any or all as you please, depending on your time, location or itinerary. We recommend that you spend a while exploring each location too, walking in the footsteps of the great poet along forest trails or coastal or lakeside walks. Almost all of the locations on the Yeats Trail have accompanying waymarked trails, and each has an artistic installation where you can sit and enjoy the views or reflect on the beauty of these surroundings, many of which have remained largely unchanged since the time of W.B. Yeats himself.
We would like to thank some of our contributors – Joyce and Máirtín Enright for text content, Annie West for the use of her W.B. Yeats animation and illustrations and Daragh Stewart for his map design, as well as others involved in this project, including JDK Design, Omedia and the staff of Sligo County Council.
We hope you enjoy the Yeats Trail, whether travelling solo or as part of a group, and that you’ll treasure the memories of these special places.
The Yeats Trail Team
Contact us at info@yeatstrail.ie
