Ballygawley: Music Festival and Nearby Trails

Two themes provide a clear focus for a stay in Ballygawley: the annual music festival in the village and the trails and landscapes nearby. If you are looking for a hotel in Ballygawley, you can plan your trip around whether an event date or time outdoors is the main priority. The differences between these options can help you choose the right focus.

Music festival in the village

The Ballygawley Music Festival is an annual four-day event in the village of Ballygawley in County Sligo. It is for people aged 18 and over and combines traditional Irish music with pop and contemporary performances. This gives you a clearly defined reason to visit: you can plan your stay around the festival dates rather than planning your days solely around walks. Check the event dates, age requirement and music genres for the relevant edition.

Walking trails and longer routes

Union Wood lies between the villages of Collooney, Ballisodare and Ballygawley and is known as a popular walking trail. The Union Wood–Mountain Access Route follows a different route: it runs along forest roads and woodland paths through Ballygawley Woods, past Ballygawley Lough and into open upland. The routes can therefore be distinguished by their paths: the walking trail connects three villages, while the Mountain Access Route includes woodland sections, the lake and open upland.

The Sligo Way also connects you with the landscapes nearby: Section 6 passes through Union Wood and along Slieve Dargan and Slieve Daeane. In the wider area around Ballygawley, the Sligo Way mostly follows forest tracks and bridleways, quiet minor roads and open paths through bogland; some sections are often wet and boggy. If you plan to include a section, check the current trail conditions.

Woodland, summits and Ballygawley Lake

Union Wood includes a Special Area of Conservation (SAC); the woodland is considered one of the region’s largest remaining areas of native oak forest. Near Ballygawley, a wooden boardwalk leads to the summit of Union Rock. From there, views extend towards Knocknarea and Benbulben. The trails, woodland and viewpoint each offer a distinct focus for time outdoors.

Stop 12 on the Yeats Trail is at Ballygawley Lake. The lake is also a breeding site for swans. A car park with a picnic area by the lake provides an opportunity to launch a kayak or start a SUP tour; check the conditions for access to the water locally.

At Union Wood by Ballygawley Lake, there is a hand-carved sculpture of an inkwell made from Kilkenny limestone. It depicts two swans in the water and a large feather transforming into birds in flight. The Cailleach Bérra, whom W. B. Yeats called Clooth-na-Bare, is also associated with Union Wood. These motifs connect the landscape with a literary and sculptural perspective on the surrounding area.

The Ballygawley mountain range includes four Neolithic monuments in the form of passage tombs, each on one of its highest summits. For visitors interested in the earlier use of the landscape, this group of monuments adds an archaeological dimension to the themes of woodland and trails.

Ways to stay active at Ballygawley Community Park

Ballygawley Community Park also offers different ways to stay active: it has a running track, outdoor fitness equipment and a lit circular track that can be used in the evening. This sets the park apart from the nearby trails, which pass through woodland, open upland or bogland. As details of the facilities may change, check the current information before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Collooney, Geevagh, Cloghboley, Carney, Curry, Mullaghmore, Ballymote, Streedagh

For the wider travel overview: County Sligo.