Sligo Town on the Net
Sligo Town got it's name from the Gaelic word Sligeach, which translates to Shelly River due to the due to the abundance of shellfish found in the waters surrounding the town.
Sligo Town is situated on the banks of the Garavogue River, connecting Lough Gill to the Atlantic Ocean. To the north lie the King Mountains, which includes Truskmore and the instantly recognisable Benbulben which has become Synonymous with Sligo
The modern town of Sligo, the largest in the North West of Ireland, with a population of 17,547 people (official 2011 census figures), dates back to 1245 when FitzGerald erected a castle somewhere in the vicinity of the present day Dominican ruin in Abbey Street.
With over 5,000 recorded archeological sites, the largest of which the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, County Sligo has one of the richest concentrations of prehistoric monuments in Western Europe.
One of Ireland's most famous personalities must have been the poet, William Butler Yeats , whose family came from Sligo, and whom inspired the young poet in many of his future works, drawn spiritually from the county's scenic landscape and sense of place.
William Butler Yeats is buried in Drumcliffe graveyard, within the
shadow of Benbulben mountain, and to the west of Sligo Town, the
mythical Queen Maeve is said to be buried beneath the large stone cairn atop
Knocknarea mountain.
Sligo Town has plenty to offer the visitor apart from our rich and varied local heritage. Like an extensive range of local restaurants serving a wide range of dishes to suit all tastes, a large selection of excellent approved accommodation, from bed and breakfasts to luxury 4* Hotels to Old World Castles.
County Sligo also boasts magnificent top class golf courses, the Sligo races, fishing, scuba diving, horse riding, surfing, rowing, mountain climbing, cycling, art galleries, museums, sauna, seaweed baths, boat tours and a multitude of other exhilerating pastimes
Sligo is also known as the “shopping capital of the northwest” with enough to keep even the most fanatical retail therapist happy. With no less than four shopping centres and retail parks, offering both local and multi-national outlets boasting a mix of excellent indigenous shops and well-known multi-national outlets.
With so much to do and so much beautiful scenery throughout Sligo Town & County, it's easy to see why so many people come back time after time to Sligo Town, as it certainly lives up to its name.
Sligo - Land of hearts desire.