"Sligo - Great Base for Northwest Ireland" Sligo by Goner

When we first arrived in Sligo we thought it was rather dismal place due to the drizzling rain. When the sun came out we found there was much, much more to see in Sligo and outside the city. Sligo is an excellent base for visiting the many beautiful sites; the ocean, mountains, lakes and ancient tombs, mines and thatched-roof cottages.

Travel Diary

We had taken the train to Sligo from Dublin and didn't have a car and you really need one to visit the marvelous countryside. We didn't want to drive this trip so visited the local tourist office who contacted Vincent Melvin, a cab driver, who took us on a five-hour tour of the town and countryside.

After four hours in the countryside we returned to Sligo to visit the Sligo Abbey and the memorial tree and circle erected in honor of the famine victims - shouldn't be missed, especially if you're of Irish decent.

After dinner at the hotel (which was good) we found "The Harp" pub that had a traditional Irish band playing on Monday nights and it was Monday night. We even saw Irish dancing, not "Riverdance" but more like American folkdancing - what a thrill for us.

Sligo Countryside

Sligo is the capital of the Northwest region and one of Ireland's largest towns of 22,000 residents. Sligo Town is situated on the Garavogue River and is a thriving tourist center. Sligo's Irish name, Sligeach (pronounced SHLEE-gok, the place of shells), comes from the large number of shellfish found in the river and its estuary.

Sligo City is in Sligo County, a beautiful county with a long Atlantic coastline of approximately 110 miles surrounded by the Dartry Mountain range to the north which includes the well-known Benbulben (table mountain) and the Ox mountains to the south. Lakes dot the countryside of dramatic hills and valleys.

Sligo Bay

This area is called Yeat's country. Yeats, one of the world's most renowned poets, was inspired by the breathtaking landscape that surrounds Sligo, which prompted much of his poetry and his famous refrain - "Sligo, land of heart's desire".

• Pros:Great Base for Exploring County Sligo
• Cons:On the Windy Side so Take a Coat
• In a nutshell:You Haven't Seen the Real Ireland Until you visit Sligo