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Bóthar an Corann or Bothar na Slieve connected the town of Ballymote, Co. Sligo with Boyle, Co. Roscommon by a route around the SW side of Kesh Corran and to the W of the Bricklieve Mountains, a distance of c. 20km. According to Timoney and Timoney (2001, 21), Richard de Burgh, the Red Earl of Ulster, is credited with building this road to get from his castle at Ballymote (SL033-092----) into Roscommon. This entry deals only with that part of the road in Co. Sligo, i.e. from close to Ballymote as far as the Roscommon border. The road traverses a number of townlands over a number of the 1914 edition of the OS 6-inch sheets: OS 33: Ardsallagh/ Corhober/Mullaghcor;
OS 39: Ardsallagh/Knocknacroy/Cross/Cloonagh/ Knocknawhishoge;
OS 40:Carrowreagh/Dernaskeagh; OS 45: Meenmore/ Derrygolagh/Dernaskeagh. A possible link road between Bothar an Corann and Bothar an Iarla Ruaid (SL033-147---) goes from Greenan townland, around the S side of the Bricklieve Mountains, to Ballinafad.
Sections of Bóthar an Corann are recorded as five separate records (SL033-145---; SL039-031----; SL040-143----; SL040-153----; SL045-002----) commencing at Ballymote and following the route SE to the county boundary with Roscommon. Only sections of the road are indicated on these maps though it was, of course, continuous.
This section (SL039-31----) is a relatively long portion (L c. 2.3km). It is mainly orientated NW-SE, is tarred and is in use as a byroad. It is 3-4m wide and is flanked by walls, which in parts have been replaced by post-and-wire fencing. A section (L 0.8km) of the road that extends from Knocknacroy into Knocknawhishoge is not tarred and survives as a grassed-over metalled track flanked by field fences and currently used as a farm trackway.
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).
Date of revision: 1 June 2011
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