Benbulben Mountain

Sligo is home to one of Ireland's most infamous mountain ranges - The Dartry Mountains. Sitting prominently overlooking the Atlantic Ocean is the unusually shaped 'table top' Ben Bulben.

It stands at 1739 feet and was formed during the last ice age, when geomorphological processes began to shape the impressive plateau. Ice began creeping through the valleys and cracks in the rock, the underlying shales were eventually eroded by the movement of the ice above. The shale was eroded faster then the limestone above. This caused the slopes to become steeper and left large overhangs of limestone at the top of the valleys. As the ice began to recede, support for the slopes failed and the land began to slip into the valleys below.

Ben Bulben is incredible to look at any hour of the day. Sunset and sunrise cast different shadows emphasising all the hidden cracks and crevises.

Contact the Sligo Mountaineering Club to organise a climb or hike of Ben Bulben.