Collooney: River Walks and Historic Buildings

Collooney offers options for a variety of holiday days: the Sligo Way leads from here into wooded countryside, while churches, mills and railway buildings bring the town’s history to life. The railway is also part of the townscape: Collooney is a station on the InterCity route from Dublin Connolly to Sligo. If you are looking for a holiday rental, you can therefore consider whether walking, architectural history or the rail connection should be a particular feature of your stay.

Architectural history in the town

The Teeling Monument commemorates the centenary of the 1798 Rebellion. The freestanding limestone memorial statue depicts Bartholmew Teeling and stands on a limestone obelisk. Its form and historical significance give the monument a distinctive place in the townscape.

Two churches display different architectural styles. The Catholic Church of the Assumption was built in 1843 in the Gothic Revival style, to a design by local architect Sir John Benson. Its notable features include a three-storey bell tower with a clock, topped by a splayed spire with four lucarnes. Collooney Methodist Church dates from around 1861. It is a freestanding, single-storey, rendered building with four bays, and is considered a landmark building in Collooney.

The railway has also left its mark on the town’s architecture. The freestanding, two-storey stone station building dates from around 1890 and is part of a largely unaltered group of railway buildings. The freestanding locomotive shed is a single-storey, three-bay stone building dating from around 1900. On the east bank of the Owenmore, the surviving mill retains underground head and tail races, as well as sunken wheel pits. Opposite the mill is a surviving, extensive bleach mill complex, which was used to finish linen fabric.

Walking routes and river scenery

For active days, the Sligo Way offers several useful waypoints. From the church tower in Collooney, follow the waymarked route towards Union Wood. The section from Collooney to Slish Wood is 16 kilometres long; the walking time is four hours, with 260 metres of ascent. It starts with a woodland path through wooded Union Wood, continues through Ballygawley Wood and reaches the slopes of Slieve Deane.

Another route option is the four-kilometre linear walking trail from Ballysadare to Collooney, along the banks of the Ballysadare River. It is wide and has a smooth surface, making it suitable for cyclists too. Details of the route, length and surface help you distinguish this riverside walk from the longer section of the Sligo Way when planning your days around your preferred distance and activity.

Nearby, the walking trails in Union Wood invite you to explore on foot. The Union Rock Trail follows forest roads beside Ballygawley Lake. There is a crannóg in the lake, and the trail offers views of Knocknarea and the Ox Mountains. Bank fishing and guided drift-fishing trips are available on the Ballysadare River. The river is home to salmon and trout.

More places to explore nearby

Markree Castle welcomes residents and other visitors for afternoon tea or dinner on selected opening days. The estate also has a notable scientific history: Markree Castle Observatory housed the world’s first cast-iron telescope. The minor planet, or asteroid, Metis was discovered there in 1848.

You can choose a holiday rental in Collooney to suit these interests: the town is a station on the InterCity route mentioned above, and several of the described trails start in Collooney or lead there. Those with a particular interest in architectural history can also explore the churches, station buildings and mills.

For more ideas of places to visit, see also Inishcrone, Curry, Carney, Cloonacool, Strandhill, Derrybeg, Aclare and Ballisodare.

For the broader travel overview: County Sligo.