Eagle’s Rock is the highest free-standing natural rock tower on the island of Ireland,  at 330 metres tall, writes Martin Branagan.

Situated in the Dartry Mountains in North Leitrim, the limestone that makes up Eagle’s Rock and the the entire hilltop at this level is home to a number of virtually inaccessible caves.

Limestone dissolves readily in even weakly acidic water such as rain, causing voids to form both above and below ground. One cave in particular is very well known from this, Poll na mBear. This was the location of the discovery of the bones of a number of brown bears and their cubs.

These have been dated to 2000BC and have proved that when man first arrived in Ireland around 8000BC they would have shared their landscapes with brown bears.

Martin Branagan is a co-founder of LeitrimExperience.ie and is passionate about promoting Leitrim as a tourist destination. Under the LoveLeitrim banner, Martin is touring the county in search of its hidden gems.

A Dubliner by birth and Leitrim resident by choice, Martin can be contacted on +353 (0)86 173 8417 for all advertising queries.

Before leaving the site be sure to visit our Gallery