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Glencar Waterfall

naturerelaxation

Recommended stay: 1 day

Getting around: Glencar Waterfall is about a 20-minute drive northeast of Sligo town; a car is the easiest way to reach it since public transport in the area is limited.

Hours: Accessible during daylight hours year-round with no admission fee; the falls are generally more dramatic after rain.

Glencar Waterfall tumbles roughly 15 metres down a rock face at the edge of Glencar Lake, close to the Sligo-Leitrim border, in a setting made famous by W.B. Yeats's poem 'The Stolen Child,' which references the falls directly. It's a short, easy walk from the car park to the base of the falls through mixed woodland, making it one of the most accessible scenic waterfalls in the northwest, and the surrounding valley, framed by the Dartry Mountains including Benbulben in the distance, adds real drama to what is otherwise a fairly modest cascade. The wider Glencar Lake area offers longer lakeside walks for those wanting more time outdoors, and the combination of literary connection, easy access, and genuinely attractive scenery makes it a popular, low-effort stop for anyone touring the Sligo countryside.