From the iconic slopes of Benbulben and Knocknarea, posing as majestic sentinels over Sligo town, to the county’s striking coastline and tranquil lakes, it is easy to understand how W.B. Yeats described County Sligo as ‘the land of heart’s desire’. Further to the west the majestic peaks of the Twelve Pins in Connemara and tranquil shores of Lough Corrib exemplify the rugged landscape of Galway and Mayo. Dotted throughout these regions are the ruins of castles, tower houses, monasteries and numerous forms of prehistoric monuments, all of which provide us with a real and tangible link to our past.