Description
Drumcliff Round Tower and High Crosses is an exceptional archaeological site that serves as an evocative portal into early Christian Ireland. Located just north of Sligo Town on the flat lowlands facing the Atlantic coast, this ancient monastic complex provides an educational and atmospheric outdoor stop for families exploring County Sligo. It stands as one of the most significant early heritage landmarks in the northwest, featuring elements that span more than a millennium, making it a prime destination for curious young minds.
While exploring this protected national monument is completely free, planning a full family day out in the local area with transport and food typically fits an easy budget of under £30. There are no paid entry tickets or restrictive booking slots required to access the outdoor site, allowing families to pull up and discover the early structures at a fully self-guided pace. It offers a practical and highly educational roadside stopover for parents wanting to introduce their children to real-world Irish archaeology.
If you are looking for the best things to do with kids in County Sligo that combine ancient history, coastal fresh air, and legendary folklore, this state-owned landmark is an ideal choice. Walking among these historic monuments allows children to stand directly beside an eleventh-century stone belfry and intricately carved stone monuments, sparking their imagination about early monastic daily life and Viking raids. The dramatic backdrop of the surrounding landscape also provides a spectacular, peaceful environment for a memorable family walk.
Features
- Free
- Host birthday parties: No
Features
Key Features
- Ancient Monastic Footprint: The preserved remains of a major early Christian monastery founded in 574 AD by Saint Columcille.
- Defensive Stone Architecture: A weather-worn, 11th-century round tower that tells a dramatic story of structural lightning damage and medieval warfare.
- Rare Biblical Carvings: Home to the only complete high cross in County Sligo, featuring the only known depiction of the Virgin Mary and Child in Ireland.
Site Highlights
- The Broken Round Tower: This 11th-century stone tower stands on the western edge of the road as the most prominent local structural icon. Reaching a current height of roughly 9 metres, its top section was famously removed in the 1830s to provide construction stones for a nearby road bridge. Children love observing its thick mortared walls and seeing how early monks built tall towers for security.
- The Complete High Cross: Located safely inside the main walled churchyard directly opposite the stone tower stands this beautifully carved 9th-century masterpiece. It stands nearly 4 metres tall and is packed with ancient illustrations of famous historical events. Children enjoy tracing the shapes of the weather-worn stone panels to spot early animal profiles like camels and frogs.
- The Virgin Mary Carving: This specific section of the complete cross head is highly famous among historians across western Europe. It contains a distinct, rare depiction of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ, a feature found nowhere else on early crosses in Ireland. It provides a fantastic talking point for parents to explain how ancient artists crafted messages on stone.
- The Weathered Limestone Shaft: Positioned close to the main entrance gates is a secondary, highly weathered shaft made entirely of local limestone. This broken piece is all that survives of a secondary high cross that once adorned the monastic grounds before centuries of exposure wore away its detailed panels. Older kids can compare it to the complete cross to see how time shapes stone landmarks.
- The Embedded Cross Fragment: A third hidden cross remnant is built directly into the fabric of the nearby church walls. This overlapping design shows how later 19th-century builders reused older sacred elements to anchor their new community buildings. Hunting for this hidden piece acts as a brilliant interactive game to keep young children engaged during the walk.
Beyond the Main Attraction
- W.B. Yeats’s Burial Site: Located within the exact same churchyard, this is the final resting place of Ireland’s Nobel Prize-winning poet, where children can read the famous engraved verses beneath the shadow of Benbulben mountain.
- Sligo Abbey: Situated 6.4 km south in Sligo town, this medieval friary ruin features great open cloisters, ancient stone carvings, and atmospheric paths to explore.
- Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery: Positioned roughly 8.5 km southwest, this is home to Ireland's oldest collection of Neolithic stone tombs set within an open landscape.
5.54 miles
