Things to see or do
Amenities
- Directions from Town: On B113, 5 miles southwest of Newry.
- Opening times: Easter - end of summer: Mon-Sun 10.00am - dusk
- Mobile narrative: 10km drive up and round this thickly wooded park as well as a mountain top trail to cairns and lake.
Slieve Gullion Forest Park
Newry
Armagh
-
Northern Ireland
A 10km drive around the slopes of Slieve Gullion offers visitors spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.
A leisurely walk around the walled garden is a must, as is a 2km walk through the mostly broadleaf mature woodland, utilising trails on the lower slopes of the mountain. The woodland comprises oak, ash, birch, beech, sweet chestnut and horse chestnut in which was once part of the Chambre Demesne.
There is a mountain top trail to two megalithic cairns (the North and South Cairns) and a lake, with stunning views across the Ring of Gullion, Mourne and Cooley mountain ranges and Armagh Drumlins, with over 2,000 years of legend and history awaiting. Cuchulainn, the Red Branch, Fionn Mac Cumhail (Finn McCool) and other heroes have trodden the slopes of this
The Calliagh Berras House
The huge burial cairn located on the summit of the mountain, the South Cairn, is known as The Calliagh Berras House and is the highest surviving passage tomb in Ireland.
It is associated with a witch who could transform herself into a hare. Legend has it that she tricked Finn McCool into jumping into the nearby lake, from which he emerged an old and withered man. While she was forced to restore his youth, it is said his hair remained white like an old man's for the rest of his life. This fate is still said to befall anyone who bathes in the lake.
You can crawl into the burial chamber via a passageway in the side of the cairn. A skylight allows light to enter, so you don’t need a torch. The earliest documented investigation of the site dates to 1789, when the chamber was opened by locals searching for the old lady Cailleach Beara, but only a few human bones were found. Not surprisingly, excavation in 1961 revealed that the chamber had been badly disturbed and the only small finds were a few pieces of worked flint, a single scraper and an arrowhead.
Slieve Gullion Courtyard, set in the midst of the park, offers a homely coffee shop and restaurant.
Download the Ring of Gullion Guide.
Contact
Email: customer.forestservice@dardni.gov.ukWebsite: www.nidirect.gov.uk
Address: Slieve Gullion Forest Park, 89 Drumintee Road Killeavy, Newry, Co Armagh, BT35 8SW
Places to eat
What's on
World Youth Fly Fishing Championship
Sights & Culture
Activities
Slieve Gullion Paws in the Park
