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We have passed "under bare Ben Bulben's head" (as somebody famous once wrote) so many times and each time though how nice it would be to climb it. Its rocky palisade of high cliffs makes it look a very daunting climb. Conflicting advice on how to tackle the climb was also not helpful. So as we were going to be passing it twice in September 2017, I decided to engage a local hill-walking guide to show us the way, as we lacked local knowledge. On the day of our climb, the weather got better and better the closer we got to Sligo. After arriving at the prearranged meeting point, we met David who was to be our guide for the day. The hike began and ended with a walk over boggy land, followed by a steep climb up a gully to reach a fairly flat plateau. About half the walk was on this plateau out to the "nose" of Ben Bulben. We had stunning views all around to the mountains of counties Donegal, Mayo and Leitrim. We could not have asked for a better day!! The next morning, the top of Ben Bulben was socked in by cloud from halfway up. To end the day we went to a sheepdog herding display. Martin, the shepherd, and the dogs Jack and Joe, gave a great demonstration of their skills.