Sligo is an ancient place – one of myths, legends and actual history. There was a battle here in 536AD, but many sites nearby tell a tale that goes back thousands of years before that. However, the port town itself was properly founded in the mid-13th century. Despite its long history it has remained small and charming, blessed with the beauty of the Knocknarea and Benbulben peaks, suffused with poetry and the craggy coastline only minutes away.
Poetry and passion
W. B. Yeats is Sligo’s most famous son. He loved the town, drawing inspiration from it and the surrounding countryside for his work, and calling it, ‘The land of heart’s desire’. You can drive out to the Atlantic Way to see landmarks that inspired him, such as the stunning rock formation of Benbulbin, or wander the town to get a feel for how the place inspired him.
The Yeats memorial Building, close to the river, has a permanent exhibition about the poet’s life, as well as original manuscripts. Take a drive out to Drumcliffe Cemetery, where he’s buried – it’s a picture postcard village at the base of Benbulbin in which he had left precise instruction to where he was to be laid to rest.
Ancient Sligo
The area surrounding Sligo is dotted with ruins and relics, each with their own story to tell. One of the finest and most fascinating is Sligo Abbey, a Dominican friary erected in the mid-13th century. The current building dates from the 15th century, as the original burned to the ground, which later survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries overseen by Henry VIII. Head inside for some spectacular Renaissance and Gothic sculpture, and a famous high altar.
Outside of the town you’ll be entering a land full of mysterious tombs, few more impressive than the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, only 3 miles away from Sligo. The tombs here date back over five thousand years, although half of them remain swallowed by the ground. It’s thought they were used by French settlers, and they’re the oldest monuments of their type in Ireland.
Cairns and caves
One of the real advantages of Sligo car hire is the wealth of rural riches all around you. There’s the coast, with its austere windswept beauty, and the Stone Age monuments dotted throughout the countryside. Head for the Caves of Keshcorran, cut deep into the limestone cliff face, where legend has it that a she-wolf once raised a future king of Ireland, Cormac Mac Airt.
From here you’re close to Knocknarea Cairn, a perfect place for rock climbers and those who just want to wander among the ghosts of Irish myth. Rumours abound of a huge tomb here, such as that Queen Maeve is buried here, but it has yet to be excavated. Hop back in your car and seek out Magheraghanrush Court Tomb, the Stone Age cemetery of Carrowkeel and the lovely grounds of Lissadell House where Yeats loved to spend his time.
