Brí Leith Walk
Brí Leith Walk is a hill walk on a resurfaced old walkway with spectacular views over the surrounding area.
- Distance: 4.3km with a 200m elevation
- Parking is available
Legend of Midir and Étáin
In the legend of Midir and Étáin, Brí Leith is where the Síd Mound of Midir is located, with the Corlea Trackway resulting from a forfeit he had to perform for the High King Eochaid after losing a game of Fidchell to him. Brí Leith was named by Midir in memory of his daughter Brí and her lover Leith. It is also called Sliabh Calraighe or Ardagh Mountain, which has sent many a person astray in the relatively flat lands of County Longford.
Bilberry Sunday
Every last Sunday in July, people gather for a walk up Brí Leith to remember Bilberry Sunday, an ancient tradition of collecting bilberries on Brí Leith.
The High King of Ireland had the rights to the fruits of the mountain, and they were collected on the Sunday before Lunasa so that he had them at his feast in Tara. The tradition continued well into the 1960s, but the bilberries retreated as the trees grew. Bilberry Sunday brings back this tradition, reminding us of our heritage.
