Yeats Country: 17 photos of Sligo and Leitrim that are pure poetry

The waters and the wild

Eagle's Rock, Co. Leitrim: "On a recent hike with Northwest Adventure Tours, we come across this mound; it looked like a glacial slide had pushed it down and left a nice viewing point to stand upon." Photo: Colin Gillen/Framelight.ie

"The Glenaniff river travels down from the mountain above Rossinver, Fowley's Falls must be one of the best kept secrets of North Leitrim." Photo: Colin Gillen / Framelight.ie

Eagle's Rock, Co. Leitrim: Photo: Colin Gillen/Framelight.ie

Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo: "The world's bravest surfers travel here. Elite surfers are towed into these huge waves, returning each winter undeterred by serious wipe-outs". Photo: Colin Gillen / Framelight.ie

Knocknarea, Sligo. Last of the winter snow. "This is the walkway up Knocknarea towards Queen Maeve's Grave." Photo: Colin Gillen / Framelight.ie

Aerial view over Cope's Mountain to Sligo Bay with Knocknarea in the distance. Photo: Colin Gillen / Framelight.ie

thumbnail: Eagle's Rock, Co. Leitrim: "On a recent hike with Northwest Adventure Tours, we come across this mound; it looked like a glacial slide had pushed it down and left a nice viewing point to stand upon." Photo: Colin Gillen/Framelight.ie
thumbnail: "The Glenaniff river travels down from the mountain above Rossinver, Fowley's Falls must be one of the best kept secrets of North Leitrim." Photo: Colin Gillen / Framelight.ie
thumbnail: Eagle's Rock, Co. Leitrim: Photo: Colin Gillen/Framelight.ie
thumbnail: Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo: "The world's bravest surfers travel here. Elite surfers are towed into these huge waves, returning each winter undeterred by serious wipe-outs". Photo: Colin Gillen / Framelight.ie
thumbnail: Knocknarea, Sligo. Last of the winter snow. "This is the walkway up Knocknarea towards Queen Maeve's Grave." Photo: Colin Gillen / Framelight.ie
thumbnail: Aerial view over Cope's Mountain to Sligo Bay with Knocknarea in the distance. Photo: Colin Gillen / Framelight.ie
Pól Ó Conghaile

The desolate landscapes of Sligo and Leitrim aren't just a fitting subject for poetry, as Colin Gillen's photographs show.

Gillen is a professional photographer living on the Sligo coast, and he spends his days shooting what he calls "the amazing, light-filled playground of a landscape that is Yeats Country".

W.B. Yeats was a regular visitor to Sligo and Leitrim, with local features like Ben Bulben, Glencar and Inishfree familiar to many through his poetry.

But words aren't the only way to celebrate unforgettable landscapes.

A good photo, as we know, is worth 1,000 of them.

By day working for local and national media, Gillen is also a keen musician with a reputation as one of Ireland's top music photographers.

But it's his stunning eye for Sligo and Leitrim that caught our attention.

From the tiny human forms caught in magnificent landscapes (or monster waves) to simple, almost painterly shots of bohareens and lakes, his photos draw you into the waters and the wild, inviting you to explore Yeats Country all over again.

Check out the gallery above - we think you'll agree.

You can find out more about Colin and his photos on framelight.ie, on Facebook here, and about hiking and adventure guides in Sligo on northwestadventuretours.ie.

For more on Yeats 2015, a programme of events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the poet's birth, see yeats2015.com.

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