The waves
Easkey’s reputation rests on two reef breaks, one near the mouth of the Easkey river beside the ruin of Roslee Castle and one east of the castle, on the west Sligo coast between Enniscrone and Dromore West. The village guide identifies both. They break over a bed of rock, cobbles and boulders, and they need the right tide and a proper swell to work, so they do not fire every day. The name comes from the Irish iasc, fish – the river was full of them.
A word of warning before you paddle out. This is not a beginners’ beach. Both breaks are cold, and what sits under the water is rock, not sand – a wipeout here means a scrape rather than a soft landing, and the crowd in the water tends to know exactly what it’s doing. Come to watch, or to surf if you already have the experience and know the conditions. Watch from public ground and keep back from slippery rocks and breaking waves. Take your first lessons on a forgiving beach break down the coast instead. Check the forecast before you drive out, and time your visit to the swell rather than the calendar.
The castle and the river walk
Roslee Castle, also called O’Dowd’s Castle, stands at the river mouth by the pier. It was built in 1207 for Oliver McDonnell, who came to Sligo to marry into the O’Dowd family, and it became the stronghold of the O’Dowd chieftains of Tireragh in west Sligo. The tower carries the nickname ‘Sailor’s Bed’. It’s a ruin now, roofless and open to the wind, but the main body still stands over the water. Enjoy it from the public ground around it.
For a short outing on land, follow the signed riverside paths from the village down along the Easkey river towards the sea, passing picnic benches on the bank with a view of whoever is out on the reef. Turn back where public access ends.
The Split Rock
A mile south of the village, on the flat plain below the Ox Mountains, sits the Split Rock – a chunk of gneiss about 6.5m long and 2.5m high, cleanly cracked down the middle. Geologists call it a glacial erratic, carried down from the mountains by the retreating ice at the end of the last ice age and dropped here.
Local folklore prefers a better story. Fionn Mac Cumhaill, the tale goes, hurled the boulder from the summit of the Ox Mountains during a giants’ stone-throwing contest; furious that it fell short of the sea, he leapt down and struck it with his sword, splitting it in two. The superstition attached to it is that anyone who passes through the gap three times will find the rock closing in on them – so most people stop at two.
Swimming at Poll Gorm
Below the village, Poll Gorm is a natural saltwater pool that four local men walled off the rocks in 1966, tidied up again in 2017. It disappears completely under a high tide and reappears as the water drops, so low water is the time to look at it. It is still open Atlantic water, so take care on the slippery rocks and keep an eye on the tide.
Practical notes
Facilities are thin on the ground, so don’t arrive expecting much. There are benches along the river. Fáilte Ireland’s transport guide covers visiting Easkey and Enniscrone without a car; check your return service before setting out. For more beach and a couple more amenities, Enniscrone is a short drive west and Aughris Head sits along the coast to the east.
Fishing. Inland Fisheries Ireland lists catch-and-release rules for the Easkey River in 2026. Check the next season’s dates, restrictions and permissions before fishing.