Is visiting Sligo on your to-do list?

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Many tourists who visit Ireland for the first time are eager to see the Ring of Kerry or kiss the Blarney Stone, but few mention a visit to William Butler Yeats’s beloved Sligo in the northwest corner of Ireland.

If Sligo is not on your bucket list, then perhaps it should be.

Most of the attractions included in this blog post are either free or very low-cost.

The county is Ireland’s 22^nd largest, bordering Mayo, Roscommon, and Leitrim.

Getting to Sligo from Dublin or any other part of Ireland is relatively easy.

The N4 goes directly from the capital into Sligo town.

You can also get to Sligo in about 2 1/2 hours from Shannon via mostly motorway, or in about the same time from Belfast to Sligo.

There are also buses and trains arriving in Sligo each day. Check out Bus Eireann for the daily bus schedule and Irish Rail for train service to Sligo.

Sligo Town’s Attractions

To get a real feel for Sligo town, I suggest that you take an official free walking tour of the town offered by the Sligo Tourist Development Association Ltd.

From June through September, tours are offered Monday through Saturday at 11 a.m. You can join the tour at the Tourist Information Office on O’Connell Street.

The walk is approximately 4.5 kilometers (2.79 miles) and will take you to the town’s most significant historical sites.

Places of interest include the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, which opened in 1874 and contains 69 stained-glass windows, as well as St. John the Baptist Church, the Church of Ireland cathedral, where Yeats’ parents were married.

If you miss the official tour, you can pick up a copy of the brochure, “A Signposted Walking Tour of Sligo City,” which is really easy to follow.

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In the nearby churchyard, you’ll come across the burial site of Charlotte Mathilda Blake Thornley, the mother of Bram Stoker, the author of “Dracula.”

Stoker got the inspiration for Dracula after hearing his mother tell stories about the time she lived in Sligo during the cholera epidemic of 1832.

The story goes that coffin makers were knocking on the doors of Sligo residents during the night looking for the dead and those who were thought to be buried alive.

The outbreak caused more deaths in Sligo than anywhere else in Ireland.

Another alternative is to take the Sligo Dark Tales Tour with Sligo Walking Tours.

Whatever you choose, there are lots of interesting things to see in Sligo town.

Sligo Abbey

Perhaps the most well-known of Sligo attractions is The Abbey, the only medieval structure still standing in the town.

It is a burial place of kings and princes, including the King of Briefne, who died in 1418, and successive chiefs of the ruling O’Conor clan.

Admission is €5 for adults, €4 for seniors and groups, €3 for children and students, and €13 for a family. If you have a heritage card, you can get in for free.

The abbey is officially open from March 17th through Nov. 5th.

The Yeats Memorial Building

While visiting Sligo, you'll discover the Yeats Memorial Building, which is in memory of the poet, William Butler Yeats, and is the headquarters of The Yeats International Summer School

Each year, the school invites students and professors from around the world to immerse themselves in a cultural and literary experience based on Yeats’ work.

The Sligo County Museum

The Sligo County Museum houses a wonderful collection of exhibits that illustrate Sligo's rich stone-age history, including a cask that contains bog butter, which was routinely stored in bogs across Ireland, sometimes thousands of years ago.

This small museum’s Yeats Room is full of manuscripts, photographs, letters and newspaper cuttings associated with Yeats, including a copy of his 1923 Nobel Prize-winning medal and a complete collection of his poems from 1889 to 1936.

Paintings by Irish artists George Russell, Sean Keating and Jack. B. Yeats, brother of Yeats, are also part of the museum’s collection, in addition to a display of artifacts and memorabilia associated with Countess Constance Markievicz, who had an active role in the Easter Rising of 1916, and her sister Eva Gore-Booth.

If you’re interested in seeing Irish art, including the works of Jack B. Yeats, you won’t want to miss The Model, which was built in 1862.

Where to Eat in Sligo

If you’re looking to quench your thirst and have a bite to eat at the same time, you can’t beat the old-style Hargadon Bros. pub.

The building has been in Sligo since 1864.

Originally a grocery store that sold beer, wine, and spirits, today Hargadon's is a popular spot for a pint and the chance to enjoy a traditional Irish music session.

This place has all the markings of an old Irish pub. You’ll feel as if you stepped back in time as you sit among the snugs, antique signage, and memorabilia from a bygone age.

It's particularly comfy during the winter months. Try to get a seat near the roaring turf fire.

Much of the food at Hargadon's is sourced from local providers, including its beef, lamb pork, and fish.

Another restaurant in town that prides itself on providing locally sourced food is the award-winning Eala Bhán (pronounced “Aila Wan”).

Lunch/afternoon tea is served from noon to 3 p.m. An Early Bird Special is available between 5 and 6:15 p.m., and an Á La Carte menu is available is between 5 and 9 p.m.

Sunday afternoon tea/lunch is served between 12 and 3 p.m.

Other great eats for lunch while visiting Sligo can be found at Lyons Cafe, part of the Lyons department store, an institution in Sligo since 1878.

Chef Gary Staffords cooks up an assortment of delicious meals. He has also written a number of cookbooks that include some of the restaurant’s favorite meals.

If you’re hanging around ‘til dinnertime, consider Montmartre, which serves up French food with style. The restaurant offers a number of set menus that are less than €30 each.

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. and on Sundays and bank holidays.

If you want to experience all that Sligo has to offer in terms of food, local restauranteur Anthony Gray offers a 2.5-hour food tour that will take you to some of the town's most innovative restaurants.

Tours are €55 per person and they must be booked in advance.

Read More: Spending a Week in Sligo: 5 Activities to Enjoy

North of Sligo

Benbulben

Sligo's table mountain, Benbulben, towers over the town. It is part of the Dartry Mountain range and stands at 526 meters (about 1,700 feet) above sea level. Its unusual shape was most likely formed after the last Ice Age.

I advise you not to attempt this hike without a guide. It is more difficult than Knocknarea, Sligo's other popular mountain for hikers.

High Hopes Hiking offers a popular walk that is about 4 to 5 hours round-trip. You'll be glad you completed it as the views are quite amazing from the top.

Along the way, your guide will show you the unusual plants that are only found in this area of Ireland, remnants of the Ice Age. They include the fringed sandwort and the tea leaf willow.

The hike is €30 per person based on a group of 12. Be sure to wear proper shoes and clothing.

Yeats’s Final Resting Place in Sligo: Drumcliff

While visiting Sligo, be sure to stop at Drumcliff, the burial place of Yeats, which is a stop on a new Yeats trail recently launched in Sligo.

Take the N15 toward Bundoran to get to the site, which is free to visit. The church in Drumcliff is called St. Columba’s Church, a parish church belonging to The Church of Ireland, where Yeats’ great-grandfather was once a rector.

Before he died, Yeats asked to be buried there. The tombstone is the main attraction, with a round tower and a high cross nearby. The words inscribed on the stone are from his poem, “Under Ben Bulben.”

Lissadell House, the Birthplace of a Revolutionary Hero

An 11-minute drive will take you to a delightful place called Lissadell House, the former home of the Gore-Booth family, including the revolutionary nationalist Constance Gore-Booth (otherwise known as Countess Markievicz).

The grand mansion is now privately owned by Dublin couple Edward Walsh and Constance Cassidy, who have lovingly restored it over the past few years.

Open to tourists in June, July and August only (Wednesdays through Sundays), the house is a Greek Revival-style structure that was built between 1830 and 1835.

It was the last one of its style to be built in Ireland.

It is located in a beautiful area of Sligo, on the shores of the Magherow Peninsula overlooking Drumcliff Bay.

Guided tours of the house are 45 minutes long. They include access to the billiard room, the gallery, the anteroom, the drawing-room, and the dining room.

The tour also includes the servants’ quarters downstairs.

Admission for adults is €14, €6 for children ages 5 and over, €12 for seniors and students, and €36 for a family of four.

Prices include the guided tour, entry to the current exhibitions at Lissadell, admission to the Alpine Garden and the Victorian Garden, as well as admission to the house and the Woodland Walks.

Spanish Armada Shipwreck at Streedagh Beach

There are many walks to take while visiting Sligo, too many to mention in this blog post.

However, if you’re looking for a walking tour that combines some neat nuggets of history, you’ll find it in the Spanish Armada Trail, a guided two-hour walk along the Wild Atlantic Way at Streedagh Beach, a 14-minute drive from Lissadell and location for the popular series Normal People.

The tour, provided by local company Sea Trails, will give you the history of the ill-fated Spanish Armada that crashed along the Sligo shore.

Twenty-five ships were wrecked off Ireland’s coast. Three of them ended up at Streedagh.

The tours cost an average of €35 each.

Check out the latest deals at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Sligo

Mullaghmore

Mullaghmore is about 8 miles from Streedagh and a good stopping-off point while visiting Sligo. It is a pretty fishing village that is well worth a visit.

The main attraction is Classiebawn Castle, the former summer home of the British royal family.

While Classiebawn is closed to the public, its presence is definitely felt as it sets the tone for the region. Many a photographer has captured the building, which was constructed in the late 19^th century.

During the 1960s and into the 1970s, the house was occupied by Louis Mountbatten, uncle to Prince Philip. He was killed by the IRA while boating off the coast of Mullaghmore.

If you're looking for some refreshments during your stop-off at Mullaghmore, the award-winning Eithna's By the Sea is a good choice.

If it's nice outside, you can dine alfresco and try the restaurant's specialty seafood dishes.

The restaurant's main courses are between €18 and €45 each. More expensive dishes include a whole lobster, which will set you back €74, and a Donegal Bay shellfish platter, which costs €65.

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Gleniff Horseshoe

For a small county, Sligo has some dramatic landscapes.

Gleniff Horseshoe is one of them.

When you get there, you’ll notice a 19^th-century mill that marks the beginning of the drive to the attraction.

Diarmuid and Grainne’s cave, perched high above, is the main attraction and the supposed resting place of the legendary couple who feature largely in Irish mythology.

Within Easy Distance of Sligo Town

 Strandhill

While you're visiting Sligo, don’t forget to visit Strandhill, about 5 miles outside of Sligo town. The award-winning town has grown quite a bit in the last 5-10 years, with the addition of some cool new restaurants and eateries.

While the beach at Strandhill isn’t suitable for swimming due to its strong currents, it is a popular surfing destination. And even if you’ve never picked up a surfboard in your life, there are plenty of opportunities to learn.

The Strandhill Lodge Hotel & Surf School serves as both accommodation in the town and offers surf lessons. The Strandhill Surf School also offers surf lessons for different abilities.

There are numerous walks you can take along the beach, including a 90-minute trek to the nearby Culleenamore beach.

Sligo Walks is a good resource while visiting Sligo, offering information on waymarked routes, coastal paths, and mountain hikes throughout the county.

For some relaxation in Strandhill, check out Voya Seaweed Baths.

This is not the oldest seaweed bath facility in Sligo (Kilcullen's Seaweed Baths in Enniscrone holds that title), but it does offer amazing services, including relaxing seaweed baths and a number of facial treatments.
Strandhill has a lot to offer when it comes to entertainment.

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Where to Eat and Drink in Strandhill

The Strand Bar is a lively spot. You’ll find traditional Irish music sessions every Wednesday night and live bands at the weekend.

The Strand has an old-world charm about it, with snugs, a turf fire on cold days, and other nooks and crannies to explore. You can order food at the bar if you like.

Favorites include the Guinness Beef Stew and the Seafood Chowder. “Big Plates” all for less than €14. There’s a variety of sandwiches/toasties and paninis/wraps available as well, not to mention burgers, salads, and a menu for kids.

Knocknarea, Queen Maeve’s Mountain

Visiting Sligo would not be complete without climbing Knocknarea (pronounced “Knocknaray”), Ireland’s mythical mountain.

Legend has it that Queen Maeve, who once ruled this part of the world around the year 50 BC, is buried inside the 40-foot cairn in an upright position, and in full battle gear!

Of course, nobody knows for sure if Maeve even existed, but along with other mythical heroes in Irish culture, hers makes for a great story.

The Queen Maeve Trail will take you up the northern slopes of the mountain. There are over 500 steps leading to the summit and several places where you can find out more information.

The 2-hour walk is relatively easy. On a clear day from the top, you can see Counties Mayo and Donegal.

Read More: Prehistoric Rock Art Found on Sligo Tomb

Coney Island

In between Rosses Point and Benbulben to the north and Strandhill and Knocknarea to the south lies an island called Coney Island.

Not to be confused with the Coney Island in New York, this one in Sligo is also well worth a visit.

You can get there by boat from the pier at Rosses Point, but you can also drive there!

You'll want to time it right, though. Your journey will be marked out for you by 14 stone pillars that are exposed only when the tide is low. Follow these for about 3 miles until you reach the island.

It's actually a fun way of getting to Coney Island, known for its many rabbits! Just make sure to come back before the tide begins to rise again.

The island is a haven of beauty and solitude. It's a must if you're in the area. You can explore old dwellings and imagine the island when it was more heavily populated.

In 1862, it had 124 residents.

Don't forget a visit to the only pub on the island, McGowan's Public House.

South & West Sligo

You’ll experience so much in this region while visiting Sligo, including seeing examples of Neolithic history and experiencing Sligo’s rich musical tradition.

Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery

Sligo is home to the largest and oldest collection of stone circles and dolmens in Ireland. They can found at the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, about a 10-minute drive from Sligo town.

About 60 monuments can be seen at the site, which predates the more widely-known Newgrange in Co. Meath.

The site has attracted believers in the mystical and others who are curious about the ancient people of Ireland.

A nearby visitor center will give you more information on the site.

The center is open March 28 through Nov. 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is €5 for adults, €4 for seniors, €3 for children and students, and €13 for families.

The Carrowkeel Passage Tombs, about 20 miles away, is also worth a visit. The site, which includes 14 cairns, dolmens, and the remains of other gravesites, dates from the late Stone Age.

There is no visitor center at Carrowkeel, just a spectacular site that overlooks Lough Arrow and the South County Sligo countryside. Be sure to stop here if you have the time.

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The Caves of Kesh

Remnants of the Ice Age are evident in another part of Sligo near the town of Ballymote, commonly known as the Caves of Kesh.

The 17 caves, sometimes called the Caves of Keash or the Caves of Keshcorran, are Ireland’s most striking caves and from afar, look like huge black holes in the mountain.

The region is associated with Irish folklore as Fionn and the Fianna are said to have hunted in the area.

Archaeologists discovered 20 ringforts in the area as well as the remains of human teeth carbon-dated to the Iron Age, suggesting that an ancient community of people may have lived near the caves at one time.

The caves overlook the village of Keash, not far from the town of Ballymote.

If you want to explore this area on your own, you can park your car at the bottom and then make your way up to the caves, some of which are pretty deep. Be sure to wear the proper footwear.

If you'd rather go on a tour, be sure to stop in the Visitor Center at The Fox's Den in Keash.

Guided tours are offered twice a day from April through September and once a day for the rest of the year, weather permitting.

Once you get there, be sure to take plenty of photos from this spectacular spot.

Ballymote Castle

A short drive from the caves is the Anglo-Norman Ballymote Castle. Built around 1300, it was once considered the strongest fortress in the West of Ireland.

The castle came under attack several times over the years. In 1498, it was sold to Red Hugh O’Donnell for the princely sum of £400 and 300 cows.

After O’Donnell lost the Battle of Kinsale, it changed hands to Lord Mountjoy, and in 1690, it became the property of Lord Granard, who let it fall into disrepair.

 

Coleman Irish Music Centre

If you have an interest in Irish traditional music, you won’t want to miss the Coleman Irish Music Centre located in the small village of Gurteen when you are visiting Sligo.

It is the birthplace of Michael Coleman, the famous fiddler who emigrated to America in 1914.

During the 1920s and ‘30s, Coleman made approximately 80 commercial recordings in America. His body of work had a huge influence on the Irish fiddlers who came after him.

The museum is dedicated to his memory, but it is also a place where you’ll learn about South Sligo’s rich cultural heritage through a variety of interactive touchscreens and audio-visual presentations.

Making your way toward West Sligo on your County Sligo ultimate road trip, be sure to stop at the Beach Bar in Aughris, a popular thatched bar/restaurant on the edge of Aughris Beach.

The restaurant serves up a variety of dishes, including the Beach Bar Fish & Chips for €18, a number of seafood sharing platters, as well as the Beach Bar classics of traditional Irish stew, chicken curry, and more.

Most of the restaurant's ingredients are locally sourced.

Meals are served each day from noon until 8 p.m.

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Easkey

Once a sleepy village, Easkey has come into its own in recent years.

Its reputation as a surfing mecca has enhanced its reputation.

The waves at Easkey break over rocks instead of sand, and as a result, they are hollowed and much faster. This is not a place for novice surfers.

While you’re there, check out Easkey Castle by the shore and the Split Rock, which is located a mile or so outside the village.

The rock is actually a big boulder that has a large space in it.

Local legend says that the rock was split as a result of an argument between two giants on the Ox Mountains, one of whom was Fionn McCool, the Irish mythical hunter-warrior.

Locals also say that if you pass through the middle of the rock three times, it will close in on you, so beware!

On the village's main street you'll find Easkey Abbey.

The graveyard has some unusual tombstones, including box and tabletop graves. There is also a ruined house on the property, possibly a priest's house with a holy water font inside where local children were baptized.

If you're looking to pick up an authentic piece of pottery on your travels around Ireland, there's no better place than Rosie's Pottery Studio in the heart of Easkey.

Rosie is an Easkey native who has been producing an array of interesting pieces for many years. Be sure to stop by for a look.

Stay in a B&B in Sligo

Enniscrone

Enniscrone is just a few miles farther north along the coast and a good place to end your adventure visiting Sligo.

Among its many assets are a beautiful 3-mile-long beach, a century’s old seaweed bathhouse (that's the one that's operational; an older bathhouse is pictured above along the shore), and lots of walking paths that highlight the beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way in this part of the country.

Surfing and stand up paddle boarding are among the activities that you can enjoy in Enniscrone, not to mention taking a long walk on its beautiful 3-mile beach.

Harbour Sup ‘N Sail along with the North West Surf School are the main providers in the town for water-based activities.

Feel like taking a ride out into Killala Bay or as far south as Dun Briste in County Mayo, contact Enniscrone Boat Tours.

Several tours are available, including 1-Day and 1/2-day sea safaris, in addition to one- and two-hour tours.

Where to Eat in Enniscrone

For such a small town, Enniscrone is blessed with a wide variety of restaurants.

Gilroy's Bar is a popular pub in town, but there is also a great restaurant downstairs called Áit Eile (meaning “The Other Place”) that you should check out. There's a variety of starters to begin with, as well as pasta dishes, main courses, burgers, and a great selection of pizzas.

After a long day of sightseeing, Gilroy's is a great place for a drink and a bite to eat, all under the same roof!

The Diamond Coast Hotel recently renovated its dining room and its rooms, so there is a lot on offer here.

The hotel serves food in its Coral Restaurant, Stir Bistro, and Inishaven Bar.

You'll find great eats at the Onyx Bistro in  The Ocean Sands located on Enniscrone's Main Street. Enjoy the great views of the ocean below from the dining room and consider staying a night if you intend to stay around for a while in Enniscrone.

Other restaurants/eateries in Enniscrone include The Pilot Bar, The Spicy Affair Indian restaurant, and the Waterfront House & Restaurant.

Have you thought about visiting Sligo? Let me know in the comments below.

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