Sligo

Yeats country and a key stop on the Wild Atlantic Way, with the flat-topped Benbulben, the Carrowmore megalithic tombs and Strandhill's surf beach all around this small town.

Sligo, in northwest Ireland, is the county town of County Sligo, with a population of about 20,000. It sits where the Garavogue River flows into Sligo Bay, the poet W. B. Yeats called it the "Land of Heart's Desire," and it's a major stop on the northwest stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way. The landscape is defined by a handful of features: the steep, flat-topped Benbulben to the north; Knocknarea to the west, crowned by a massive cairn; Lough Gill and the Lake Isle of Innisfree from Yeats's poetry to the east; and surf beaches along the Atlantic. The Neolithic megalithic tombs of Carrowmore and Carrowkeel make this one of Europe's densest concentrations of prehistoric monuments.

The area divides into three parts: the town itself (Sligo Abbey, The Model arts center and the Yeats room at the County Museum) takes half a day on foot; north of town, a day's drive along the N15 takes in Yeats's grave at Drumcliffe, Lissadell House, Glencar Waterfall and the Gleniff Horseshoe, ending at the Mullaghmore peninsula; and west of town, surfing and a seaweed bath at Strandhill, a climb up Knocknarea and the Carrowmore tombs fill another day. Farther afield, Carrowkeel to the south and Enniscrone beach to the west suit travelers with a car.

The climate is mild and wet. May–September brings long days and is the best time for hiking and surfing, and the Yeats International Summer School takes place in August; winter is windy and wet, but the waves are at their best. Getting there: direct trains from Dublin Connolly take about 3 hours, or take the bus; sights are spread out, so renting a car is strongly recommended. Plan on 2–3 days. The weather changes quickly, so bring windproof and waterproof layers for hikes; some sights (Lissadell House and boats to Inishmurray Island) are open only in summer.

Top sights

• Benbulben – Sligo's most iconic flat-topped table mountain, with steep limestone cliffs and gullies that look carved by a knife. It appears again and a…
• Knocknarea & Queen Maeve's Cairn – A 327-meter hill west of town, topped by a giant cairn about 5,000 years old, said to be the burial place of Queen Maeve, with panoramic vi…
• Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery – One of Ireland's largest megalithic cemeteries, with about 30 stone circles and chamber tombs scattered across a grassy field, older than t…
• Drumcliffe Churchyard (Yeats's Grave) – The rural churchyard where Nobel Prize-winning poet W. B. Yeats is buried, with Benbulben Mountain at its back and a medieval high cross ne…
• Strandhill Beach – A surfing hub on Ireland's west coast, with a long sandy beach facing the Atlantic and famous for its seaweed baths and seaside cafés.
• Glencar Waterfall – A 15-meter waterfall among the trees beside Glencar Lake, the setting of W. B. Yeats's famous poem “The Stolen Child.” The walking path is…
• Sligo Abbey – The ruins of a 13th-century Dominican friary in the city centre, with intact cloisters, carved altars and Ireland's only medieval high-alta…
• Lissadell House – A neoclassical mansion of the Gore-Booth family. W.B. Yeats stayed here, and it is closely tied to Countess Markievicz, a heroine of Irish…
• Lough Gill & Lake Isle of Innisfree – A wooded lake on the eastern outskirts of Sligo. The island in Yeats's famous poem 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree' sits in the lake, and boat…
• Parke's Castle – A fortified 17th-century plantation manor on the shore of Loch Gile, beautifully restored and the starting point for lake boat tours.
• Mullaghmore Head & Classiebawn Castle – A fishing village on the headland at Sligo's northern tip. The coastal loop road offers views of Atlantic swells, Benbulben and the fairyta…
• Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery – Neolithic passage tombs on the summit of the Bricklieve Mountains, where you can step into the chambers. The summit views are vast, and far…
• Rosses Point – A seaside village on the northern shore of Sligo Bay with two Blue Flag beaches, the 'Waiting on Shore' sculpture, a century-old golf cours…
• Gleniff Horseshoe – A horseshoe-shaped glacial valley behind the Benbulben range. Towering cliffs line an approximately 10 km loop road, and it is quiet and dr…
• Streedagh Beach – A remote 3 km sandy beach where three ships of the 1588 Spanish Armada sank. Coral fossils are hidden in the rocks.
• Inishmurray – A well-preserved early Christian monastery on an uninhabited island, with small stone-walled chapels, beehive huts and the 'cursing stone'.
• Devil's Chimney (Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird) – Ireland's highest waterfall, with a drop of about 150 m. It appears only after rain, and strong winds blow the water back up, which gives i…
• Enniscrone Beach & Kilcullen's Seaweed Baths – A 5 km Blue Flag beach on the western side of Sligo. The century-old Kilcullen's Seaweed Baths are among Ireland's oldest seaweed bath hous…
• The Model – The city's contemporary art centre, housing works by painter Jack B. Yeats (the poet's brother) and the Niland Collection. Admission to the…
• Creevykeel Court Tomb – One of Ireland's best-preserved court tombs. Its roughly 5,500-year-old oval court and burial chambers are clearly visible, right beside th…
• Caves of Kesh (Keshcorran) – A row of 16 limestone cave mouths on the western cliff of Keshcorran Hill. Ice Age animal bones have been excavated here, and the site is c…
• Coney Island (Sligo) – A tidal island in Sligo Bay. At low tide, you can walk or drive to it along a sand path marked by 14 stone pillars. New York's Coney Island…
• Sligo County Museum – A small, free museum in the city. The Yeats Memorial Room displays replicas of the poet's Nobel Prize medal, manuscripts and letters.
• Tobernalt Holy Well – An ancient holy well in woodland on the western shore of Loch Gile. It was a Celtic-era ritual site, and during the Penal era Catholics sec…

Where to eat

• Eala Bhán – Sligo's leading restaurant on the Garavogue River, run by chef Anthony Gray, serving local seafood and steak, and repea…
• Hargadon Bros. Bar – A Sligo institution since 1864, with Victorian wooden snugs, serving Donegal Bay seafood chowder and lamb stew.
• Lyons Café – A century-old tearoom opened in 1926, on the upper floor of a former department store, serving breakfast, roast lunches…
• Hooked – The casual sister restaurant of Eala Bhán, by the river, serving brunch, fish and chips and fish tacos at fair prices.
• Coach Lane Restaurant – A family-run steakhouse upstairs from Donaghy's pub, known for dry-aged Irish Angus steaks and tomahawk steaks.

Itineraries

• Ultimate Wild Atlantic Way – Drive the entire west coast from north to south, from Donegal to Kinsale, taking in sea cliffs, islands, and peninsulas.
• Northern Ireland & Northwest Loop – Head north from Dublin to Belfast and the Giant's Causeway, then loop back to Galway via Donegal and Mayo.