Sligo's contribution to history is exampled by the amount of ancient sites and it's megalithic tombs which date to prehistoric times. The surrounding areas of Sligo town actually has the highest density of prehistoric archaeological sites which can be seen at Carrowmore Megalithic Tomb site. Other historic sites and facts about Sligo include:
- Knocknarea: A mountain in Sligo capped by a great cairn which is said to host some remains of Queen Maeve. Many legends surround the whereabouts of Queen Maeve's burial and Knocknarea, a scenic trail, is one of the locations assumed to hold remains. The peak itself is a monolithic, limestone mountain positioned between the bays of Sligo and Ballysadare.
- Sligo Gaol: Sligo Gaol is a fragment of Modern Irish History. The Gaol was used as a prison to hold people like Michael Collins and local criminals. During the time of the famine and times of great depravity in Ireland, people would commit petty crimes like theft to be put in the jail as it was heated, had water (From the Garavogue river) and had food. Around 50% of the Gaol still stands and during this year, efforts are being made to open it up to the public. Check out my Friends of Sligo Gaol post for more info.
- The Model Art Centre: The Model Art centre holds the Niland exhibition which includes pieces by the brother of famed poet, W.B Yeats, Jack. B Yeats and piece by other Irish artists as well as sculptures.
- Lissadell House: This house/land was granted to Elisabethan soldier, Sir Paul Gore after the Nine Years War. It is also rumoured that Lissadell House was a summer residence for William Butler Yeats
- Yeats' Grave: In Drumcliff, there is a site dedicated to Yeats's Grave with a guided tour.
Culture is a big thing in Sligo, music being the stand out piece of culture well known in Sligo. Musicians both domestic and from all over the world come to Sligo to play intimate sets and be in the centre of a hub of Traditional Irish Music. It is even stated that Sligo has it's own style of music.
In terms of literature, Sligo is well represented by laureate, William Butler
Yeats, but besides Yeats, it is also rumoured that "Dracula" creator, Bram Stoker and his origins stem in Sligo.
Sligo also hosts a vibrant nightlife with a number of nightclubs, music bars, late night bars and a general sense of entertainment. Sligo has a sizable student population and most of the entertainment happens on the riverside which has most of the well known spots to go for a bit of "craic and ceol". In many bars, there is usually live traditional music and contemporary music.
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Sligo gets a good number of tourists, but their service sector is the dominant sector in the economy of Sligo. From a tourism point of view, Sligo isn't a bad
area. It boasts over 5 top quality hotels, a plethora of restaurants and a number of tourist attractions in the surrounding areas. Sligo is a county on coast, so from Sligo centre, it isn't that far to travel out to beaches like Strandhill or venture out to Rosses Point.
With that being said, the stepping stones have been put in place for Sligo to develop even more. There isn't much within the town of Sligo to keep tourists there for too long. There could be possible development of more tourist attractions. Make Sligo more attractive for visitors, try and develop more unique events that will draw more tourists. Display what makes Sligo unique. Events that could come or be developed in Sligo:
- Try get the Volvo Ocean Race to come to Sligo
- Have a Sligo Music Festival
- Have local businesses develop a weekend market in Sligo
Things like this will draw attention to Sligo and could grow it's tourism sector.
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What do you guys think? Is Sligo doing okay? Could more be done? And would you visit Sligo?
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