Information about Sligo

Sligo is the principal town in County Sligo in Northwest Ireland & Lakelands. It is the largest urban area in this region, and the second largest in the province (after Galway).

Traditionally a small, quiet coastal town, Sligo has experienced significant redevelopment since the 1990s and now offers much in the way of shopping, entertainment and eating out. It is a great base from which to explore the often underrated west and north west Atlantic coast of Ireland. A lot of new development has been situated along the Garavogue river, most notably the regeneration of J.F.K. and Rockwood Parades, consisting of shops, cafés, bars and a number of apartments as well as a new footbridge over the river itself.

Image: Sligo

Sligo is surrounded by the Dartry Mountain range to the north, the Ox Mountains to the south, and Sligo Bay and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The Dartry range includes the well-known Ben Bulben (sometimes called Ireland's table mountain). Knocknarea Mountain, located 5 km (3 mi) west of the town, is best known for the stone cairn at its summit (actually a burial mound dating to the Neolithic period).

Sligo has a vibrant nightlife, and is a popular destination for local residents and a sizeable student population. Sligo has several nightclubs and late bars, particularly along the riverside, an area successfully redeveloped during the 1990s. The town has also become a popular destination for stag and hen parties from all over the country. There are also many pubs and music venues with traditional and contemporary music throughout the year.

What to see

Sligo Abbey (Dominican Friary) - Closed from mid-Dec until Feb, founded by Maurice Fitzgerald in 1253, destroyed by fire in 1414, rebuilt in its present form; the Abbey was burned in 1642 and everything valuable in it was destroyed. Much of the structure, including the choir, carved altar and cloisters remain.

Famine Memorial - One of a suite of three sculptures commissioned by the Sligo Famine Commemoration Committee to honour the victims of the Irish Potato Famine (1845–1849), when over 30,000 people emigrated through the port of Sligo, here commemorated by this sculprute. A plaque in the background, headed 'Letter to America, January 2, 1850' tells one family's sad story.