The wooden trail in the Cuilcagh Mountains, on the border with Northern Ireland, is one of the country’s most “unstapleable” attractions. The place became known as the “stairway to heaven” (Stairway to Heaven, like the Led Zeppelin song) thanks to the view from the top, which is beautiful, yielding great photos and giving you the feeling that you are on top of the world.
The Cuilcagh Legnagbrocky Trail is one of the many trails that can be taken in the region, and it traverses through a swamp area to reach the mountain. In 2015, a 1.6-kilometer-long stretch of wood was built to preserve the vegetation, which caused the number of visitors to increase from 3,000 to more than 60,000 a year, mainly thanks to popularity on social media.
The trail can be traversed without much physical preparation, but be prepared to face a lot of steps (450, to be exact). The complete journey, from the parking lot to the top, is 7.4 kilometers long and takes about three hours. On clear days, you can see the Sligo Mountains, in the west of the country, and even the Atlantic Ocean.
The best way to get there is by car. Search for “Cuilcaigh Boardwalk” on Google Maps and let the app guide you. Departing Dublin, the journey takes just over 2 hours. Parking costs £5 or Euros and can be quite hectic on busy days such as holidays and weekends. So get there early! Another way to visit the place is to book a tour, like this one, which leaves at 7 am from Dublin and stops at other interesting places along the way.
Whatever your means of transport, don’t forget to bring a coat, as it is very windy and can get quite cold on top of the mountain.
