Overview
Truskmore (Irish: Trosc Mór, ‘big cod’) rises to 647 m in the Dartry Mountains and is County Sligo’s highest summit. It sits in the border country between Sligo and County Leitrim. Be honest about what it is: this is not a wild peak made for visitors. A television mast stands on the summit, and the mountain is a working broadcasting site. What it offers from a distance is a long, wind-scoured plateau above the Dartry ridges, and you can see it from many points around the valley below.
The upper slopes have patterned stones and terraces left by repeated freezing and thawing during the last ice age. The geological heritage guide explains how they formed.
Can you visit Truskmore?
The mast on Truskmore is part of a working broadcasting site. Keep away from the service road and the installations. For an outing in the Dartry Mountains, choose an established public route and start from its signed trailhead. There is no public parking or visitor access on the mountain’s service road that this page can recommend.
A signed walk in the Dartry Mountains
For an established public outing, choose the Benbulben Forest Walk and start from its signed trailhead. It gives you the Dartry scenery without crossing a broadcasting site. The summit is exposed and the weather in these mountains turns fast, so carry a map, wear sturdy waterproof boots and dress for wind and fog whichever walk you choose, especially in autumn and winter when the ground is saturated.
The mast and broadcasting history
The 175 m lattice mast is the landmark for miles. The site opened on 1 February 1962 as the second of Telefís Éireann’s five original transmitters, and it has carried the national signal ever since. The original 135 m mast did over four decades of service before it was replaced in 2009 for the digital switchover. Today the site is run by 2RN, RTÉ’s transmission arm, broadcasting the Saorview digital television service alongside national FM stations.
Nearby
Truskmore is best appreciated as the backdrop to the Gleniff Horseshoe, a roughly 10 km driving loop around the foot of the Dartry Mountains. It passes the ruins of an old Barytes Mill, a quiet spot for a picnic, and Diarmuid and Gráinne’s Cave, set high in the cliff face. Further into Leitrim, Lough Allen offers watersports and angling, with an adventure centre at Drumshanbo.
The mast marks the summit, but the valley is the beauty. Drive the horseshoe, then decide how you want to explore the range on foot, using a signed public trail.