Glenfarne: Forest, Trails and Showband History

Glenfarne brings together the shores of Lough MacNean, a large forest area and a distinctive cultural theme centred on the Rainbow Ballroom of Romance. Several trails vary in length, duration and route type. When planning a stay, you can explore nature and local history and choose a route to suit the time you have available.

Forest and sculptures by Lough MacNean

Glenfarne Wood is a 216-acre forest area on the shores of Lough MacNean. Part of the trail network there is included in the Lough MacNean Sculpture Trail. The sculpture trail comprises eleven sculptures in total around Upper and Lower Lough MacNean. If you are interested in art in the landscape, it offers a distinct cultural theme alongside the forest trails; the sculpture trail takes in both parts of the lake.

Fishing is also an option at Lough MacNean: Glenfarne Wood has a boat launch at the car park, from which you can fish on the lake. The forest is located off the N16 and close to the landmark Rainbow Ballroom of Romance.

Walking trails for different timeframes

The Lough MacNean Trail in Glenfarne Wood is 2.5 kilometres long, takes about an hour and is rated easy. The Glenfarne Demesne cycling and walking trail is also rated easy: it is about four kilometres long and takes around an hour and a half. The Lough MacNean Trail is therefore the shorter of the two trails with stated distances, while the Glenfarne Demesne route requires more time.

The Glenfarne Forest Woods Walk is also located in the area around Glenfarne. This self-guided circular walk offers three signposted options of different lengths. It adds a choice of several circular routes to the two trails with stated distances. The duration and distance therefore vary depending on the route; when choosing, you can weigh up a shorter trail, a longer walking and cycling route, and the three options for the circular walk.

Greenway and regional routes

The nearby SLNCR Greenway Glenfarne is an easy, two-kilometre linear off-road cycling route that takes ten minutes. Unlike the circular walks, it follows a linear route. The Greenway follows the trackbed of the former Sligo Leitrim Northern Counties Railway and runs through Glenfarne, bringing together a present-day cycling route and railway heritage.

The Leitrim Way also provides a connection to the wider region. In the wider destination of County Leitrim, it is a 56-kilometre long-distance walking trail from Manorhamilton to Leitrim Village, usually completed over two to three days. At Dowra, it connects with other routes that run via Glenfarne and Coolegraine to Manorhamilton. The usual time estimate refers to the entire Leitrim Way.

Rainbow Ballroom of Romance

The Rainbow Ballroom of Romance in Glenfarne was built in 1934 by John McGivern, after he returned to his home in Leitrim from the USA. Social dancing takes place at the ballroom on the third Sunday of every month. If you would like to include this event in your stay, check the date before your visit.

The Rainbow Ballroom also has an exhibition of memorabilia from showband history, including collections of posters, photographs and vinyl records. Guided tours of the showband exhibition are available on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no advance booking required. Check the times before you travel. This allows you to consider the exhibition and the regular social dancing as two separate reasons to visit the ballroom.

Discover more destinations: Drumshanbo, Drumnafinnila, Drumgorman, Kinlough, Dromahair, Carnhill, Carrigallen, Drumkeeran.

For the wider travel overview: County Leitrim.