Sligo Information
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Sligo
Province: Connacht
Population: 60,894
Main Town: Sligo Town
Sligo is one of Ireland’s smaller counties. It is located on the northwest coast of Ireland, surrounded by the counties of Mayo, Roscommon and Leitrim and close to Donegal and Fermanagh. The main town in the county is Sligo Town.
Although steeped in the past and proud of its traditions, Sligo has moved with the times and accommodated the past alongside the changing face of Ireland. It is very much involved in cross border co-operation and events.
Road improvements and public transport, in addition to its closeness to regional airports have eased accessibility to the county not just from other parts of Ireland, but also from abroad.
Sligo has a beautiful and rugged contrasting landscape, from sandy beaches with rolling Atlantic waves and the uninhabited island of Inishmurray, to its legendary mountains of Benbulben and Knocknarea. Hidden lakes and small villages, all with one of the greatest proliferation of prehistoric sites amongst the counties of Ireland. You can hardly take "a good stretch of the legs" without tripping over a legend.
Despite its size it has a huge array of things to do and see, whether It is your first time or you’re a regular visitor. Activities range from the adventures of golf, riding, walking, cycling, surfing and fishing to the more passive pastimes of sightseeing, seaweed baths and wellness spas as well as the many cultural and spectator events.
Each season brings its own rewards and perspectives. Although the main season runs from May - September, there is still plenty to do and events taking place outside of these months. The Gulf Stream and Sligo’s location on the Atlantic coast means that the winter months can be milder than you would expect.
The romance of Sligo has provided inspiration for poets, artists and musicians through the centuries as well as in present times. The county is famed for its traditions of music and dance, and the ’Sligo Style’ is not only very noticeable in the county but also abroad. It’s not only traditional music that is celebrated - the numerous concerts and festivals of jazz, country, classical and pop are evidence of the development and promotion of music in the county.
Throughout Sligo there are references to favourite sons and daughters, from Westlife to Jack and W.B. Yeats and Countess Markievicz. The county itself has adopted one of Yeats’ descriptions of itself as its slogan:
"Land of Heart's Desire"