A bid by the Irish government to purchase the site of a Neolithic passage grave on Cairns Hill, on the southern outskirts of Sligo, has been rejected by the seller. It is understood that a private individual has purchased the 9.5 hectare parcel. The bid was based on a valuation by the Office of Public Works, and on an assessment that the monument would be an excellent addition to the many monuments in state care in County Sligo. The county is home to the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, and the immense stone cairn called Queen Maeve's Grave on Knocknarae.
     The area adjacent to the cairn provides a panoramic view of the Sligo urban area and its environs. The monument is protected under the National Monuments Acts, but there is no public right of way. Councillors hope the individual who purchased the land may consider a request to permit the construction of a walkway to allow access.

Edited from Independent.ie (6 December 2021)