The Caves Tour

Lough Arrow → Ballindoon Friary → Carrowkeel Megalithic Tombs → The Caves of Kesh → Ballymote Castle → Raptor Centre and Bird Sanctuary → Colooney Falls → the 1798 Memorial Collooney.

See the legendary Caves of Kesh

from €300 for 1-3 persons & from €400 for 4-8 persons

7 Days a Week: 8am and 2pm

7 hours

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Details & Itinerary

Lough Arrow lies at the foot of the Curlew Mountains 22 kilometres from Sligo town on the border between the counties of Sligo and Roscommon. It is the largest lake in Sligo, measuring 8 kilometres long and 2.5 kilometres across at the widest points. The lake is fed from waters from spring wells. The lake is drained by the Ushin River which flows into the Owenmore River near Ballysadare and on to the Atlantic Ocean. Lough Arrow boasts some of the finest wild Trout fishing in Europe and is an anglers Mecca during the Mayfly season.
Lough Arrow
Ballindoon Abbey on the north east shore of lough Arrow is a Dominican Priory founded by the McDonaghs in 1507. Terence McDonagh was buried here in 1713. He maintained an active political role in Irish History and was the only Catholic in an influential position when the penal laws were introduced. He practiced Law until 1692 and he helped many families, including the O’Connors and O’Rourkes to hold onto their Hereditary Possessions and Lands. As we leave Ballindoon and Lough Arrow we travel to Castlebaldwin and on up into the Bricklieve Mountains to visit Carrowkeel Megalithic Tombs.

Carrowkeel Megalithic Tombs are designated as a National Monument and are one of the Sacred Sites of Ireland on a hill in the Bricklieve Mountains. It has 14 Burial Mounds dating from 2500-2000 BC and each tomb is marked alphabetically. There are beautiful scenic views of Lough Arrow and the surrounding areas from this mountain. As we leave here we travel 5 kilometres north west to Keshcorran Mountain and the Caves Of Kesh.

Ballindoon Abbey on the north east shore of lough Arrow is a Dominican Priory founded by the McDonaghs in 1507. Terence McDonagh was buried here in 1713. He maintained an active political role in Irish History and was the only Catholic in an influential position when the penal laws were introduced. He practiced Law until 1692 and he helped many families, including the O’Connors and O’Rourkes to hold onto their Hereditary Possessions and Lands. As we leave Ballindoon and Lough Arrow we travel to Castlebaldwin and on up into the Bricklieve Mountains to visit Carrowkeel Megalithic Tombs.

Carrowkeel Megalithic Tombs are designated as a National Monument and are one of the Sacred Sites of Ireland on a hill in the Bricklieve Mountains. It has 14 Burial Mounds dating from 2500-2000 BC and each tomb is marked alphabetically. There are beautiful scenic views of Lough Arrow and the surrounding areas from this mountain. As we leave here we travel 5 kilometres north west to Keshcorran Mountain and the Caves Of Kesh.

Ballindoon Abbey on the north east shore of lough Arrow is a Dominican Priory founded by the McDonaghs in 1507. Terence McDonagh was buried here in 1713. He maintained an active political role in Irish History and was the only Catholic in an influential position when the penal laws were introduced. He practiced Law until 1692 and he helped many families, including the O’Connors and O’Rourkes to hold onto their Hereditary Possessions and Lands. As we leave Ballindoon and Lough Arrow we travel to Castlebaldwin and on up into the Bricklieve Mountains to visit Carrowkeel Megalithic Tombs.Carrowkeel Megalithic Tombs are designated as a National Monument and are one of the Sacred Sites of Ireland on a hill in the Bricklieve Mountains. It has 14 Burial Mounds dating from 2500-2000 BC and each tomb is marked alphabetically. There are beautiful scenic views of Lough Arrow and the surrounding areas from this mountain. As we leave here we travel 5 kilometres north west to Keshcorran Mountain and the Caves Of Kesh.

The Caves of Kesh consist of thirteen small caves at the foot of a limestone cliff. A legend associated with the caves is that Cormac MacArt, a famous King of Ireland was reputedly born and raised in the caves by a she wolf. Diarmud and Grainne are said to have taken refuge here from Fionn Mac Comhail. Lughnasa is a festival to honour the Celtic God Lugh was held on the top of the mountain on the last Sunday in July, called Garland Sunday. In past times the festival lasted three days. These days it’s held in the local sports field with a dance in the evening. There are guided tours of the caves every hour during the main tourist season. Next on your tour is Ballymote Castle.

Caves of Kesh
The last and mightiest Norman Castle in Connaught dating from 1300 was built by Richard DeBurgh it was the strongest fortress in Connaught. DeBurgh, called the Red Earl of Ulster, built it in order to protect his newly won possessions in Sligo. He also built a road from Boyle to Collooney called Red Earls Road. In 1601 it was from this castle that Red Hugh O’Donnell marched to a disastrous battle in Kinsale. From Ballymote it takes about ten minutes to go up the road to the Raptor Centre & Bird Sanctuary.

The Centre opens to the public on Good Friday and has tours of one hour duration twice daily at 11:00 am and 3:00 pm. You can see Eagles Flying and Training and experience eagles swoop inches above you. You can have a bird land on your head and watch the Bird Whisperers at work. This is a visit that provides both fun and information for all. Next we make our way out to the Sligo road, turn right and pass through the village of Ballinacarrow on our way to the small town of Collooney where we visit the Collooney Mill Falls on the Owenmore River.  At Collooney Mill Falls we see the fish-pass for salmon, in their run to spawning beds up river. We see the old mill which is a derelict building now and serves as a reminder of a different age in a very picturesque area surrounded now by houses and apartments. After a photo session we go to the 1798 Memorial.

Recent Reviews

Summer Fun In Sligo with Sligo Tours

I was a solo traveler in July 2019 visiting Sligo. Eugene of Sligo Tours is an excellent tour guide and driver. He drove me around Sligo Town and areas around Sligo County. He provided great commentary on the areas we visited such as Lough Gill, Strandhill, Hazelwood Forest, Parks Castle, The Holy Well, Poet Yates historic places, and much more. Eugene drove me around for two days. He took pictures for me of the places we visited. Now I have a wonderful collection of photographs of my trip. Eugene of Sligo Tours let me choose places I wanted to see. We stopped at sites and stayed as long as I wanted. Eugene lets the travelers like me set the travel agenda which is so great. He suggested places to go to and see that I would not have thought of. Everything was just perfect. I want to go back to Sligo again, And I am going to choose Sligo Tours as my travel guide. I highly recommend Sligo Tours to any traveler. For a safe, friendly, happy adventure it is Sligo Tours for me. Nomad12411909846

Worth every cent!

If you are heading to Sligo and would like to see all of its highlights we cannot recommend Eugene and Sligo Tours more. We contacted him in advance with an itinerary which he covered but then Eugene went the extra mile (literally) and added four more stunning locations to our day trip. Eugene is a Sligo native and so naturally knows the county, its roads and beyond inside out. The tour was at our own pace and never felt rushed. Private tours are not cheap but Eugene made this day trip worth every cent. It was a lovely way to see all the highlights of Sligo in one day with an excellent guide and chauffeur in a very clean and comfortable vehicle. Thank you again, Eugene! We will be back in 2020. Ross

Book This Tour!

My husband and I enjoyed an absolutely lovely day touring around Sligo with Eugene. He picked us up in his Mercedes and took us around the county for a day full of beautiful scenery and very interesting history. He’s a super knowledgeable and kind person- the perfect tour guide! This tour is well worth its value, you don’t be disappointed. Eugene also provided us with some great recommendations for food and drink. We hope to return to Sligo one day soon to experience one of his other itineraries! Meaghan

Sligo at its best!

My husband and I just got back from the BEST private tour of Sligo and surrounding points of interest. Eugene picked us up at our hotel and spent the entire day sharing all of his personal, local knowledge and favorite spots with us. Places you do not see on the group tours in big coach buses. Eugene, a native Irishman, born in Sligo, feels like a long lost cousin. A warm and friendly man with a great sense of humor. If you want to see the Irish countryside, tiny winding roads, fields and mountainside peppered with sheep, up close views of the Wild Atlantic Way, beautiful country homes, waterfalls, quaint villages and other special, unique places, give Eugene a chance to show you a side of Ireland the travel books don’t mention much. Eugene has a very clean S class Mercedes and will customize your experience to fit your interests. Have no idea what to see? Ask Eugene to take you to his favorite spots. You won’t be disappointed! Devine Travelers

The best choice I made this trip!

I cannot recommend touring with Eugene highly enough!

My husband and I visited Sligo with my septuagenarian grandparents and were wary to drive ourselves around the region. How glad I was to find Eugene’s website! When I contacted him, Eugene responded promptly and was open to customizing a tour to meet our travel goals. (In the end we did a slightly modified version of his Yeats tour and it was totally perfect.)

We four spent about 7 hours with Eugene, who drove us around nearly the entire county — we saw cliffs, mountains, inlets, fishing villages, etc. etc. etc. And, a Sligo native, Eugene is a wealth of knowledge about the area. He shared so much interesting and amusing info with ya throughout the day, I can’t imagine having gone about the area without his expertise! Genuinely, this was the BEST choice we made on our whole 10-day vacation. I only wish we’d spend more time in Sligo, and more time with Eugene!  Erin R

Fabtastic One day tour in Sligo and Slieve League Cliffs

My entire family of 8 went on a fabulous trip with Eugene to the Slieve League cliffs from Sligo with many great stops along the way.
Eugene was able to take us to so may unique places where we saw zero people and beautiful beaches,castles and farms.
Eugene is a pleasure to be around and a genuine great guy who is very down to earth. Kevin M

Mom's 80th Birthday Celebration

My family and I were thrilled to travel to Sligo a week ago for early celebration of Mom’s 80th birthday. We were also so fortunate to meet Eugene McP – owner of SligoTours.com. Eugene made our trip a lot of fun/extra special, as we started our day’s journey visiting my Great Great Grandparents hometown & graveside .. not far from where he grew up. We then had an unexpected trip down the Wild Atlantic Way through Connemara, Clifden, and Sky Road (most beautiful vista I’ve seen in 6 trips) to Galway … Eugene’s expertise/knowledge/graciousness was excellent, and I would highly recommend him to anyone planning to travel in the Sligo area. ShaMac

Best Day In Ireland Of Two Week Stay

We took four private tours during our stay in Ireland. Sligo Tours was simply the best. Eugene McPartland (the owner) gave me the gift of Ireland–through his words, his spirit, his understanding of my need for the natural beauty of Ireland and a necessity for solitude and thin places. He never rushed our group of four, letting us explore at our own pace. His knowledge of the area and his storytelling ability were exactly what I had hoped to find in Ireland. This area is free of tourists, making me hesitant to even write about it or share it. There were no crowds, no massive tour buses, no in-your-face souvenir shops. Mostly there was only peace, solitude and the magnificent natural beauty of Ireland. It’s not a place to visit if you want the usual attractions to take selfies. This is a quiet place–to pause and reflect. Here’s a list of some of the places Eugene shared with us: Tobernalt Holy Well, Rosses Point, Drumcliffe, Benbulben Mountains, Cassiebrawn Castle, Mullaghmore Peace Garden, Creevykeel, Colgagh Lough, Glencar Waterfalls, Parkes Castle, Creevelea Friary. Thank you again Eugene for my best day in Ireland. ScarboroughFair

Personalized and a Treasure!

We booked Eugene online, not knowing what to expect. There were not a lot of private tours to choose from, so we went with Sligo Tours! We booked through email, and were very nervous – knowing that the roads are narrow and difficult, we prayed that we got someone who knew how to drive. We also did not have any idea as to what we wanted to see. We left it with Eugene to select our stops. He brought us to many beautiful areas of Sligo and the base of the Benbulben mountain range. We could not have asked for anything better. Eugene was flexible on each stop in leaving us to decide how long we wanted to stay at each location. He is a wealth of knowledge and shared many historical and interesting details. We could not have asked for a better day!
Laura B

Eugene is a Sligo treasure all of his own!

I was recently in Sligo for the first time on a work trip and we were lucky enough to have Eugene show us around for the day. He was so knowledgeable, patient and friendly that the day felt more like a holiday than it did a work trip. As we went from location to location, Eugene educated my colleagues and I on the local area which was equal parts fascinating and fun.

Sligo is an absolutely beautiful place with an amazing history that is not to be missed and it’s my genuine feeling that the very best way to see it is in the company of Eugene. Highly, highly recommend.

Thanks for everything Eugene! Greg10