Road - road/trackway

The National Monuments Service's description

The Red Earl's Road, probably of medieval origin, linked the towns of Ballymote, Co. Sligo and Boyle, Co. Roscommon, by a route around the N and E sides of the Bricklieve Mountains (M. A. Timoney 1998, 155), a distance of c. 21km. It is said to have been built by Richard de Burgh, The Red Earl of Ulster, after the Norman conquest, to link his castle (SL033-092----) at Ballymote with Boyle Abbey (RO006-068005-), Co. Roscommon. The road traverses a number of townlands over a number of 6-inch sheets (OS 33: Bellanascarrow West/Roscrib East/Roscrib West/Ballinvoher; OS 34: Drumcormick/ Bricklieve/Tiraree; OS 40: Cloghoge Lower/Carrowkeel/Mullaghfarna/ Doonaveeragh/Knockroe/Cuilsheeghary More/Mountgaffeny/Ballinafad/Gortalough/ Ballaghboy/Cartron; OS 45: Ballaghboy/Cartron).

Sections of the road are recorded under five records (SL033-147----; SL034-159----; SL040-023----; SL040-197----; SL040-190----) commencing at Ballymote and following the route E and then S to the county boundary with Roscommon. Only sections of the road are indicated on the 1914 and 1941 OS 6-inch maps even though it was, of course, continuous. A possible link road between Bothar an Iarla Ruaid and Bothar an Corran (SL033-145----) goes from Greenan townland, around the S side of the Bricklieve Mountains, to Ballinafad. At its nearest point, Bothar an Corran is c. 0.8km to the SW.

This section (SL040-190----) is c. 3.2km in total length. The northern 2km stretch is represented on the OS 6-inch maps as following the course of the townland boundaries SE from Ballinafad and crosses the national primary route (N4). The S 1.1km stretch of this road extends over hilly terrain which is largely covered in coniferous forestry. There is no surface evidence of the initial stretch in a field of pasture but it may be partially preserved in a N-S field boundary. Just after the point where it is crossed by the N4 (the main Sligo/Boyle road), the old road is traceable for a stretch of c. 250-300m. It survives as a grassed-over track (Wth 5.5m) bordered by field fences of earth and stone and flanked by mature and semi-mature coniferous forestry. The track is covered in rough upland vegetation and is soft underfoot in parts. The most S section is under forestry and is impassable. According to O'Rorke ([1889], vol. 2, 299-301), this section through the townland of Ballaghboy, is known as the 'Yellow Pass' and due to the steep gradient it was not 'practicable for horses'. In an effort to overcome this Manus O'Donnell, encamping on the Curlew Mountains in 1540, 'set his forces to work in levelling it off' (ibid.). O'Rorke (ibid.) also relates that in 1691 when Lord Granard was bearing down on Sligo, the horses failed to draw the cannon and the soldiers were obliged to get into harness and do the horse's work.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of revision: 1 June 2011