Sligo Impressions...

In the attempt of getting to know Ireland better, we decided to head north-west to see one of the lesser known counties of Ireland - Sligo or Sligeach, as they call it in Irish. The direct translation would be 'shelly place', apparently because there is lots of shellfish found in the river and its estuary.

Sligo is in the province of Connacht, and has around 18,000 inhabitants. It really gave us the feeling of a little town, but a pretty little town it is! See here for a map of Sligo and surroundings.

On Saturday morning, our first action was to hire a car. My first time to drive on the left side of the road - what a feeling! But I managed, and we drove off into a beautiful sunny but ice-cold day in the county Sligo. First thing we did, we headed to Lough Gill and had stunning views over the Isle of Innisfree. This is the area the poet - and later Nobel price winner - William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) included in his poetry. He grew up in northern Sligo, was inspired by the couty's landscapes and is even buried in the North, in Drumcliffe.



Next, we we went to Markree castle, which is still owned by the Cooper Family and is today a small family-run hotel. We had a nice lunch there, and were impressed by the fantastic dining room!


What I can definitely recommend is visiting the megalithic cemetery of Carrowmore, which is part of a huge area of remains from the Stone Age. And finally, to watch a beautiful sunset, I would make the effort and climb the Knocknarea Mountain, overlooking Sligo and the bay. This is where Queen Maeve's tomb is located.


According to wikipedia, 'Medb or Maeve was the warrior Queen of Connacht in Celtic mythology. The story of part of her reign is recorded in the ‘Táin Bó Cúailnge’ (The cattle raid of Cooley) - abbreviated ‘The Táin’ - the earliest written version of which is recorded in Lebor na hUidre (the Book of the Dun Cow), a late 11th Century manuscript. The Táin saga itself is thought to be much older, perhaps referring to a time several hundred years B.C. Because of the weapons and animals in the story, some commentators regard Queen Maeve as an Iron Age figure, but no-one knows if she really existed or not. Maeve is reputedly entombed in the Knocknarea cairn in an erect position, in full battle regalia, facing northward toward her Ulster enemies. Although passage tombs are dated to the Neolithic era, there is evidence of the re-usage of such tombs (including burials) in the Bronze and Iron Ages, which may provide some comfort to those who believe Queen Maeve is still inside Miosgán Medbh.'

As you can see, Sligo county is full of myths and stunning scenery....definitely worth a visit!