5 ReviewsBenbulben or more correctly Ben Bulben is a huge formation of shale and limestone which is believed to have been formed during the Ice Age 320 million years ago. It can be seen for miles around as it...
7 ReviewsOverlooking the megaliths at Carrowmore is the legendary Maeve's Cairn. It sits on top of Knocknarea, the only mountain around so easy to spot. The site is Neolithic and about 5000 years old. It is...
3 ReviewsFollowing the N15 North out of Sligo takes you to the seaside town of Rosses Point. There are great views of Sligo and the Ocean. The area has many restaurants, especially some good fish eateries....
4 ReviewsThe Baron of Offaly, Maurice Fitzgerald, founded the Dominican Friary in the 13th century. The Abbey has been destroyed by fire in 1414 and has been attacked and ravaged in both the Tyrone War in the...
3 ReviewsParkes Castle on the shores of Lough Gill, was built in the 17th century and was the home of Robert Parkes and family. In the courtyard there are what seem to be remains of a Tower House structure...
4 ReviewsFor those of you who are fans of the work of W B Yeats, Sligo is the place to be! The grave is way out in Drumcliff but here in the town itself is the Yeats Memorial Building (run by the Yeats Society...
1 ReviewVisiting Lissadell House, the childhood home of the Countess Constance Markievicz is a fascinating study of modern Irish history. Constance was friend to Yeats and participant in the 1916 Easter...
Hi yes unfortunatly you are correct about the Megalithic Cemetary; the visitor centre is closed until March/April. However the area is predominantly fields and while privately owned it is possible (if you're willing) to still explore the area at your own risk. However there is also creevykeel and carrowkeel cemetaries closeby which also have megalithic structures... on top of Knocknarea (this is a mountain which overlooks carrowmore) there is an unexcavated tomb. I also highly recommend Strandhill as a base as this is closeby for all this - a car is advisable though!
Creevelea Abbey
by Krumel
This was one of the occasions where I just saw one of these tell-tale brown signposts which mark points of interest, pointing down some laneway. So I made the split-second decision that this was something we should have a look at and turned off the main road, once again leaving my long-suffering and bewildered travel-companion wondering what on earth I was up to now.So after driving down this tiny lane for maybe 2-3 miles we came to a T-junction, which true to form of course was missing a signpost. With no sign of an abbey and the road having turned into a track with grass growing in the middle we decided to abandon the search for the abbey rather than get seriously lost in the middle of nowhere.When we nearly were back at the main road again we saw some tower in a valley, and decided to investigate what this was. The tower turned out to belong to some mill or factory, but to our...
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Tobernalt Holy Well
by Krumel
This is a holy site which had been used a place of worship since ancient times and was later christianised. During the times of the Penal Laws when Catholicism was suppressed in Ireland it was forbidden to celebrate mass, and it had to be held secretly. Tobernalt was one such a place where such secret masses were celebrated those times.It is very quiet and serene spot, shaded by trees and with a little stream bubbling down the hill. Gravel walks lead past the stations of the cross and the rosary stones which are dotted around the site.It’s a great spot to stop by during your travels around Sligo, and to soak up the peaceful atmosphere for a while.
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Glencar Waterfall
by Krumel
While this waterfall is not spectacularly high or big it is very scenic, and instead of cascading down a mountain, like most other waterfalls in Ireland it is free-falling and resembles a veil.What else really is there to say about a waterfall...???
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Lissadell House
by Krumel
After years of neglect and disrepair during which Lissadell House had been slowly crumbling away it has changed owner in recent years, and a big effort has been made to restore it to its former glory. When the Lord and Lady of Lissadell House were out and about enjoying the grounds around the castle they seem to have considered the sight of servants scurrying around a bit of an eyesore, and they therefore had a tunnel built for the servants to use in order to remain well out of sight. The guided tour only goes through a few restored rooms, but it is very interesting and gives an insight into the troubled lives of the Gore-Booth family. Constance Gore-Booth was born at Lissadell in 1868, who after her wedding to a Polish aristocrat became famous as Countess Markiewicz during the 1916 Easter Rising, and as the first woman to be elected to the British House of Commons. A special exhibition...
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Yeats' Grave
by Krumel
Drumcliffe is probably most famous for the cemetery where the poet William Butler Yeats is buried. Yeats spent a lot of time in Sligo and the area north of Sligo town is also known as “Yeats’ Country”. His unassuming grave and the tombstone with the famous inscription is right next to the church. The high cross in the other section of the graveyard is also quite interesting, and one of the carvings seems to resemble a camel (?!?). There is also supposed to be scene on it with Daniel in the lion’s den, but I always find it rather difficult to make out any particular scenes from the weather beaten carvings, unless someone actually points them out to me. The remains of a round tower which was struck by lightning in the Middle Ages can be seen across the road from the graveyard. Being a popular tourist spot, you will also find the usual tourist facilities there, i.e. a souvenir shop and a...
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Parke's Castle
by Krumel
Parke’s Castle was one of the stopping points on our drive around Lough Gill. It was built on the site of an old tower house, the foundations of which can still be seen in the yard.One of the interesting features was the underground tunnel which was the ancient equivalent of an emergency exit and led from the yard to the outside wall by the lakeside, where a waiting boat could whisk the lord of the manor away.Another unusual point of interest was what must be one of the first saunas in Ireland. This was a tiny stone cavern by the lake into which hot stones were placed and then the entrance was closed with a stone. The person inside would then pour water over the stones to produce steam, and afterwards jump into the cool lake.You can either wander around the castle by yourself or you can wait for one of the guided tours to take place, which was very interesting, and lasted for around 45...
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Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery
by Krumel
Being a fan of old stones this was very interesting site to wander around in, even though it is a bit of a pity that it is cut in half with a road running through it. What made made this place fascinating was the large area that it covers and the amount of stone circles, tombs and dolmens it contains, making Carrowmore the largest megalithic cemetery in Ireland. Equipped with a self-guide map from the little visitor centre we wandered around the field and explored the monuments of various shapes and sizes, with the largest one being Listoghil, a stone cairn reminiscent of a mini-Newgrange from the outside, and with a large dolmen inside.Across the road there are yet more dolmens and stonecircles, and dolmens within stonecircles, all against the backdrop of the Knocknarea mountain with yet another monument on top which is visible as a large lump on top. Reputedly the legendary Queen Maeve...
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Celtic Seaweed Baths, Strandhill, Sligo
by AtomicPuppy68
Seaweed baths, as the name implies, are baths full of hot water and seaweed freshly brought up from the Atlantic coast of Ireland. I tried the ones at Strandhill, as recommended by a local. It was 20 euro, and well worth it. First, there is a steam sauna to open your pores, then the bath itself where you relax for an hour. Your skin and psyche feel wonderful afterwards, and the seaweed is reputed to give benefits to skin conditions such as exzema and psoriasis as well as arthritic conditions.
The mountains in County Sligo
by sue_stone
There are some spectacular mountains in County Sligo - you have never seen anything quite like them!!Benbulben is the most well known one. It is an amazing limestone plateau that dominates the surrounding countryside.It was a little tricky to take a decent photo out the car window....perhaps we shpuld have pulled over and really taken in the view;
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