Drumcliffe
Drumcliffe is a small crossroads village in County Sligo, but it holds outsized significance for anyone interested in Irish poetry: W.B. Yeats is buried in the churchyard of St Columba's Church of Ireland here, under the simple headstone bearing his own chosen epitaph, "Cast a cold eye / On life, on death." Yeats requested burial in Drumcliffe specifically because his great-grandfather had been rector of the church, and the site sits in the literal shadow of Benbulben, the flat-topped, dramatically sheared mountain that appears again and again in his poetry as a symbol of the Sligo landscape he loved. Beyond the grave, there isn't much to the village itself — a church, a round tower base, and a small craft/tea room — but the combination of the grave, the view of Benbulben, and the surrounding countryside makes it a meaningful, atmospheric stop for literary pilgrims and a scenic one for anyone touring the Sligo coast.
Drumcliffe FAQs
No, the churchyard is open to the public free of charge; only the associated craft shop and tea room operate as a commercial business.
His great-grandfather had served as rector of the church there, and Yeats requested burial in the churchyard in his poem 'Under Ben Bulben,' which is inscribed on his headstone.
Most visitors spend 20-45 minutes at the grave and church; it's a brief stop rather than a destination in its own right, usually combined with other Sligo-area sights.
The setting beneath Benbulben is scenic enough to justify a quick stop even without a literary interest, though the poetry connection is the main draw.
Yes, it's easily combined with Sligo town, Benbulben viewpoints, and the Mullaghmore/Streedagh coastline as part of a loop around County Sligo.
More in Ireland
Reviews/Comments
No comments yet — be the first.