Sligo

Sligo (Sligeach in Irish, meaning shelly place) is the principal town in County Sligo in Northwest Ireland & Lakelands. In 2016 it had a population of 19,199, with the service sector the main employer.

Understand
Sligo in Irish is Sligeach (say "SHLEE-gok"), meaning the place of shells, from the abundant shellfish in its tidal river and bay. The bay's entrance is blocked by three islands, Maguins and Coney near the south shore, and Oyster Island in the main channel by the north shore. So the tides are funnelled, twice a day rising and twice ebbing, as all the water in the bay rushes past these obstructions. That's hazardous for swimming but great for shellfish, which catch their food from the current.

Shellfish were a staple human foodstuff from the Stone Ages up to the early modern era. Great mounds of discarded shells have been found at the many prehistoric settlements of the area, all within a few hours hike from the bay with a dripping creel on your back. The oyster beds also stabilised the sand banks, and acted as food and a habitat for other marine life such as juvenile cod. In acid peaty soils, empty shells could be crushed to counter the acidity and act as a fertiliser. The shellfish harvest was sustainable until the 19th century, but then the population grew, and mechanical methods hugely increased the take - a steam-powered dredger could in a few hours clear out and destroy a shellfish bed that had been stable for centuries. Shellfish were no longer for subsistence but became a cash-crop; the price rose, and oysters became a sought-after luxury, which further boosted the financial incentive. (The "pearls" from edible oysters however are worthless, resembling gallstones.) Once the railway reached Sligo in 1862, its perishable shellfish could be quickly sent to Dublin, which had polluted and exhausted its own local beds. In 1864 the bay was raided by a fleet of "oyster pirates", and there was a grand set-to with the police, who had deployed in force against them. The pirates were rebuffed that day but over the following years the natural beds were worn out. Nowadays shellfish have been re-established in Sligo Bay but in farmed enclosures, using non-native species such as the Pacific oyster.

By plane

 * "I know that I shall meet my fate / somewhere among the clouds above" - an Irish Airman foresees the 2011 collapse of Sligo Airport, perhaps.

Best option is Dublin, with good flight connections and onward public transport - Bus 23 runs direct from the airport to Sligo, see below.

You could also fly into Belfast or Derry and hire a car. Knock Airport is closer, 55 km south in County Mayo, but has few flights.

By rail
Trains from Dublin Connolly take 3 hr 20 min to Sligo via Drumcondra, Maynooth, Mullingar, Longford, Dromod, Carrick-on-Shannon, Boyle and Ballymote. There are 7 M-F, 6 Sa and 5 Sunday. A walk-up single from Dublin is €21, see Irish Rail for timetables, fares and online tickets.

are on Knappagh Rd just west of town centre. The railway station is called MacDiarmada, for Seán MacDiarmada (1883-1916), a leading member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood executed for his part in the Easter Rising. The station has a ticket office staffed M-F 06:30-14:30, ticket machines and toilets.

By bus
Expressway Bus 23 runs six times a day from Dublin Busáras, taking four hours to Sligo via Dublin Airport, Lucan, Maynooth, Mullingar, Longford, Dromod and Carrick-on-Shannon.

Expressway Bus 64 runs every two hours from Derry via Letterkenny to Sligo, continuing to Knock village and airport, Tuam and Galway.

From Belfast Europa bus station take Goldline Bus 261 to Enniskillen then change for Bus 64 or 258.

Bus Feda runs twice a day from Galway via Tuam and Knock to Sligo, continuing to Donegal Town, Letterkenny and Gweedore. Bus 480 also runs twice a day between Donegal and Sligo.

Bus Éireann 458 runs every couple of hours daily from Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland to Belcoo, Glenfarne, Manorhamilton, Glencar, Sligo, then west along the coast to Enniscrone and Ballina.

Local Link Bus 572 runs three times M-Sa from Drumshanbo to Sligo (70 min) and the university.

By car
From Dublin take M4/N4 northwest via Mullingar, Longford and Carrick-on-Shannon, 210 km, 2½ hr.

From Galway take N83 onto N17 north via Tuam and Knock, 145 km, 2-2½ hr.

From Belfast take M1 west onto A4, which becomes N16 at the border at Belcoo, 200 km, 3-3½ hours.

Get around

 * Horseman, pass by! - Yeats wrote his own epitaph.


 * Sligo is small enough to walk round, but you need wheels for the out-of-town sights.
 * Bus S1 runs across town from Cartron in the north via Institute of Technology, the hospital and town centre to Cairns Rd south. It runs every 30 min M-Sa, hourly on Sundays and public holidays.
 * Bus S2 follows the coast from Rosses Point in the north via Ballincar (Radisson Hotel), Institute of Technology, the hospital, town centre, the bus and railway station and Mannionstown to Strandhill south of the estuary. It runs hourly, daily.
 * The fare within town (as of Apr 2020) by cash is €2 adult and €1.20 child, or by Leap Card is €1.40 adult and 84c child. It's only slightly more to ride all the way to Strandhill or Rosses Point.


 * Bus 982 potters along the coast north from Sligo to Drumcliffe, Grange, Mullaghmore, Tullaghan, Bundoran and Ballyshannon, where it connects with Bus 292 to Rossnowlagh and Donegal Town. There are four M-Sa with only two on Sunday.
 * Other infrequent out-of-town services are Bus 475 to Ballisodare and Collooney, Bus 566 to Parkes Castle and Dowra, and Bus 977 to Collooney, Ballymote and Ballaghadereen.
 * For route maps, including stop locations, enter the route number into the TFI route mapper.

In town

 * : even dreary Stonehenge looks mystical compared to this sad heap of stones. Yet it's a 5000-year old neolithic tomb, now looking like a vandalised garden feature set amidst a town roundabout. Still, if it whets your appetite for the prehistoric sites out of town . ..
 * : the Dominican Friars are still in town, and you can join their services at this church on High St. It's modern, opened in 1973 to replace a building of 1848.
 * is a sculpture in Quay St car park, rather hidden by the parked cars. It commemorates the victims of an Gorta Mór, the Great Famine 1845–1849, when over 30,000 people emigrated through the port of Sligo. The plaque quotes a desperate letter from one who stayed to his son in America; but that son himself had died.
 * is on Clarion Rd north of St John's Hospital. Some 2000 famine victims lie here.
 * is a sculpture in Quay St car park, rather hidden by the parked cars. It commemorates the victims of an Gorta Mór, the Great Famine 1845–1849, when over 30,000 people emigrated through the port of Sligo. The plaque quotes a desperate letter from one who stayed to his son in America; but that son himself had died.
 * is on Clarion Rd north of St John's Hospital. Some 2000 famine victims lie here.
 * is a sculpture in Quay St car park, rather hidden by the parked cars. It commemorates the victims of an Gorta Mór, the Great Famine 1845–1849, when over 30,000 people emigrated through the port of Sligo. The plaque quotes a desperate letter from one who stayed to his son in America; but that son himself had died.
 * is on Clarion Rd north of St John's Hospital. Some 2000 famine victims lie here.
 * is on Clarion Rd north of St John's Hospital. Some 2000 famine victims lie here.

Further out

 * is a flat-topped mountain 5 km west of town, a 327 m / 1073 ft slab of limestone. At its summit is a large cairn that's believed to date from 3000 BC and to contain a Neolithic passage tomb, but please don't climb or otherwise disturb the cairn. (It goes by various names, such as Queen Maeve's Grave.) There are several smaller passage graves and other remains nearby, aligned with Carrowmore, so this was obviously an important ritual site. The easiest footpath is from Primrose Grange to the southeast.
 * is a small village on N15, five km north of Sligo. It once had a large monastery, but all that remains is a High Cross and the stump of a Round Tower, both 11th century. St Columba's C of I church is an 1809 neo-Gothic " First Fruits" church best known for the grave of WB Yeats (1865-1939). He died and was initially buried on the French Riviera but then was re-interred here "under bare Ben Bulben's head" as his self-written epitaph wished.
 * is a neo-classical mansion built for the Gore-Booth family in the 1830s. Constance Gore-Booth (1868-1927), better known as Countess Markievicz, grew up here. Yeats visited and gawped at the sisters "both beautiful, one a gazelle" meaning Eva. (So what did that make Constance, a gnu? Irish Times have published many wicked parodies of Yeats, and their roast of this verse was on 22 Dec 2015.) The house and gardens fell into a poor state but have been restored; they're closed to visits in 2020.
 * or Ben Bulben is a dramatic table mountain of 526 m / 1726 ft, 15 km north of Sligo. Like Knocknarea it's a limestone plateau but at an angle, so depending on your viewpoint it looks like a mesa, the prow of an onrushing battleship, or Conan Doyle's Lost World. (A bit chilly up there for dinosaurs, but surely a few mammoths and spear-wielding tribesmen.) Most visitors are content to view from below but it's possible to hike up, without scaling the cliffs. Start from Luke's Bridge on the lane to its northeast, follow a boggy trail across peat cuttings on the flank, then ascend a gully where a stream hurtles down from the plateau. A longer trail approaches from Glencar to the south. There's no public access across the farmland to the west, which in any case would fetch you up against the cliffs.
 * is a scenic lake straddling the border with County Leitrim. A couple of crannogs indicate its prehistoric importance, and a trail leads up Benbulbin. The main sight is Glencar waterfall feeding its northeast end: in pools among the rushes / that scarce could bathe a star . .  - here Yeats describes a child being stolen away into the spirit-world. He was a bit away with the fairies himself, but in these lines was not entirely fanciful in evoking the terminal dwam of a starved child, leaving a world more full of weeping / than he can understand.
 * is a court tomb dating from 3000 BC. It's 30 m long, and from above is in the shape of a man. It's off R278 towards Manorhamilton.
 * Lough Gill is the freshwater lake east of town, 8 km long by 2 km wide. The River Garavogue drains from its west end for 3 km to become tidal at Sligo. The River Bonet is the main flow into its east end, which lies in County Leitrim.
 * is a real place: this is the lake isle in the poem of 1888. Boat trips call, but it's just a wooded uninhabited hummock and you only come for the associations. An early London-based reviewer seems to have been unimpressed: the accommodation was just a cabin of clay and wattles, the catering involved growing your own beans, and the glade was noisy what with all the bees.
 * Church Island is the largest lake island, forested and uninhabited. There is indeed a ruined church.
 * near the river outflow has a ruined church, associated with Trinity Abbey on Lough Key, Roscommon. It's better known as Beezie's Island as it was the home of Elizabeth Gallagher, née Clerkin. In the early 20th C Beezie served food to visiting boaters, and into her seventies she'd row a boat to town to collect her pension and shopping. She barely survived the big freeze of 1947 but perished along with her home in a fire of 1951, and the island has been uninhabited since.
 * 15 km north of town is a 3 km spit of sand on the Atlantic coast, popular for surfing or just strolling. In Sept 1588 three vessels of the Spanish Armada were driven ashore and wrecked by a storm - 1000 may have perished. Their remnants lie in 3-6 m depth but may only be scuba-dived under permit. A fourth wreck visible at low tide, the "butter boat", is 18th century. There's a museum and annual commemoration in the village of Grange. The next event is online only, 18-20 Sept 2020.
 * Sheepdogs at work: the farm along the lane from Grange (on N15) to Streedagh puts on demos of sheepdog technique.
 * is a scenic headland on Donegal Bay. Good beaches for walking and waves for surfing. Creevykeel on the main road may date to 3000 BC: it's termed a "court tomb" because the cairn encloses a little court, with burial chambers around. Classiebawn Castle is a baronial pile built for Lord Palmerston; in the 20th century it passed to Lord Louis Mountbatten, last Viceroy of India. In 1979 he was assassinated when the IRA planted a bomb on his fishing boat nearby. The castle is privately owned and you can't visit.
 * is an uninhabited island 7 km off the coast with the substantial remains of a monastery. Boat trips used to visit but since 2018 are banned, as the landing area has been declared unsafe.
 * Sheepdogs at work: the farm along the lane from Grange (on N15) to Streedagh puts on demos of sheepdog technique.
 * is a scenic headland on Donegal Bay. Good beaches for walking and waves for surfing. Creevykeel on the main road may date to 3000 BC: it's termed a "court tomb" because the cairn encloses a little court, with burial chambers around. Classiebawn Castle is a baronial pile built for Lord Palmerston; in the 20th century it passed to Lord Louis Mountbatten, last Viceroy of India. In 1979 he was assassinated when the IRA planted a bomb on his fishing boat nearby. The castle is privately owned and you can't visit.
 * is an uninhabited island 7 km off the coast with the substantial remains of a monastery. Boat trips used to visit but since 2018 are banned, as the landing area has been declared unsafe.

Do

 * What's on? - for local events check The Sligo Champion, published Wednesdays and online, or Sligo Weekender published Thursdays.
 * Hawk's Well Theatre on Temple St has drama, dance, comedy and music. Box Office is +353 71 9161518.
 * Omniplex Cinema is on Wine St.
 * , capacity 15,558, is the home ground of Sligo County GAA teams for Gaelic football and hurling.
 * Boat trips on Lough Gill: one operator is Rose of Innisfree, who may pick up from town, and tour sights such as Parkes Castle and Innisfree (described above). Sailings resume from April 2022.
 * The Wild Atlantic Way  is the motoring route that hugs the coast - see County Sligo for more, but the way is self-evident.
 * Yeats International Summer School is a series of cultural events at various venues. The next event is 28 July - 5 Aug 2022.
 * Boat trips on Lough Gill: one operator is Rose of Innisfree, who may pick up from town, and tour sights such as Parkes Castle and Innisfree (described above). Sailings resume from April 2022.
 * The Wild Atlantic Way  is the motoring route that hugs the coast - see County Sligo for more, but the way is self-evident.
 * Yeats International Summer School is a series of cultural events at various venues. The next event is 28 July - 5 Aug 2022.
 * Yeats International Summer School is a series of cultural events at various venues. The next event is 28 July - 5 Aug 2022.

Buy

 * The main retail area is along O'Connell Street, Wine Street and Grattan Street. Shopping malls here are Johnston Court and The Quayside.

Eat

 * All the hotels listed in the Sleep section below have restaurants, and many have carvery bar lunches.
 * Osta is on the north river bank overlooking Garavogue Weir. They serve light meals M-Sa 09:00-17:00.

Drink

 * Fiddler's Creek: see Eat. The bar has live music most nights, TV sports, and bar food.
 * Furey's on Bridge St is open M-F 17:00-23:30, Sa 13:30-00:00, Su 13:00-23:00.
 * Lough Gill Brewery is on Cleveragh industrial park 1 km east of town; they don't offer tours. They produce a range of beers, plus mead.
 * Athru is the only distillery in the county, producing Irish malt whiskey. It's by Hazelwood House near the outflow of Lough Gill east of town. Opened in 2019, they don't offer tours but plan a second building to accommodate visits from 2021.
 * Lough Gill Brewery is on Cleveragh industrial park 1 km east of town; they don't offer tours. They produce a range of beers, plus mead.
 * Athru is the only distillery in the county, producing Irish malt whiskey. It's by Hazelwood House near the outflow of Lough Gill east of town. Opened in 2019, they don't offer tours but plan a second building to accommodate visits from 2021.
 * Lough Gill Brewery is on Cleveragh industrial park 1 km east of town; they don't offer tours. They produce a range of beers, plus mead.
 * Athru is the only distillery in the county, producing Irish malt whiskey. It's by Hazelwood House near the outflow of Lough Gill east of town. Opened in 2019, they don't offer tours but plan a second building to accommodate visits from 2021.

Budget

 * No camping or caravan sites in town, but see Strandhill and Rosses Point for nearby options.
 * Sligo's hostels are not open in 2020 because of the impracticality of social distancing, but groups might be able to book them for exclusive use.

Mid-range

 * Bed and Breakfast places are mostly along the old Dublin road (Pearse Road, R287), Cairns Hill (head out the R287, turn left at the traffic lights just at the Gaelic Football Pitch, Markievicz Park) and the Bundoran road (N16).
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.
 * Self-catering: Albanne manage a portfolio of properties in and around town. These are normally let out as student accommodation, but are available for short rentals during the summer holidays.

Splurge

 * Markree Castle, 15 km south of Sligo near Collooney, was built in 1802, replacing a 14th century castle. It's open April-Sept primarily as an events venue, but may have B&B availability for independent travellers.

Connect

 * As of June 2021, Sligo has 5G from all Irish carriers.

Stay safe
Crime is low by European standards. Take usual precautions with valuables and avoid late night drunks.

Go next

 * Rosses Point is a pretty little village with a beautiful golden sandy beach, perfect for families. The Atlantic Ocean is cold for swimming, but perfectly safe here. Sea boat trips are available from here.
 * Strandhill is a nearby village on the coast, with a great beach for walking, though it's not safe to swim.
 * Coney Island is a tidal island just off Strandhill. You can walk or drive across, but think about the tides and the getting back.
 * County Donegal is scenic and little developed.
 * Achill Island in County Mayo has great beaches making it a family holiday favourite.
 * Galway is a bustling, historic city.
 * The Burren south of Galway is what County Sligo might look like if limestone outcrops like Knocknarea and Benbulbin covered the whole area. It's a wild haunting place with many prehistoric sites.