Sligo - 58 Attractions You Must Visit

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About Sligo

County Sligo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 65,535 at the 2016 census. It is noted for Benbulben Mountain, one of Ireland's most distinctive natural landmarks.

Types of Attractions in Sligo

Activities Around

List of Attractions in Sligo

Ballinafad Castle

Ballinafad Castle

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

Ballinafad Castle was built in 1590 and is also known as the ‘Castle of the Curlews’. The castle is in ruins and is accessible year round. There are no tours, guides, or fees. Visitors can park in a small lot at the foot of the hill where they will find an interpretive sign. Visitors cannot enter the castle, but the interior is visible through breaches in the walls that are closed off by iron fences.

Ballygawley Lough

Ballygawley Lough

Lake/ River/ Ponds

Ballygawley Lough is next to Ballydawley Lough and is located in Sligo, Connaught, Ireland. Ballygawley Lough has a length of 2.43 kilometres. It is close to Union Wood a popular area with many walks and nature trails.

Ballygilgan (Lissadell)

Ballygilgan (Lissadell)

Outdoors - Other

Ballygilgan is a national nature reserve of approximately 73 acres the Maugherow Peninsula in County Sligo, Ireland. It is home to Ireland’s biggest mainland flock of barnacle geese. The Reserve is west of the village of Carney on the shore of Drumcliff Bay, Special Area of Conservation, between the road and Lissadell Strand.

Ballymote Castle

Ballymote Castle

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

A late 13th or early 14th Century enclosure castle. One of the strongest castles in Connaught and today it remains as an impressive ruin on the edge of Ballymote village. It is the last of the Norman castles in Connacht. It was probably built in order to protect the newly won possessions of Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster. Its main feature of this impressive fortification is the large gate building – a rectangular structure with projection 1/2 round towers at each side of the entrance.

Ballysadare River

Ballysadare River

Lake/ River/ Ponds

Ballysadare River is a stream in County Sligo and has an elevation of 55 metres. Ballysadare River is situated nearby to Toberloonagh, close to Ballydrehid Bridge. The Ballisodare River derives from three other Sligo rivers: the Unshin River, the Owenmore River and the Owenbeg River. It flows through Ballysadare, passing under the N4 and N59 roads.

Benbulbin

Benbulbin

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Benbulben is Ireland’s most distinctive mountain and known in some parts as Ireland’s version of Table Mountain. It is the western point of the Dartry Mountains, a large and bulky collection of heads and glaciated valleys. The mountain is formed from Dartry limestone. It was shaped during the ice age, when Ireland was under glaciers. Originally it was a large plateau. Glaciers moving from the northeast to southwest shaped it into its present distinct formation.

Bricklieve Mountains

Bricklieve Mountains

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

A beautiful mountain summit in the region in the county of Sligo, Ireland. It is 321 metres high with a prominence of 173 metres. It contains the Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery. The Caves of Kesh are visible on the west side of Kesh Corran from the R295 road and the Dublin–Sligo railway line. It also offers beautiful views and also opyu can enjoy the natural beauty of this area.

Carrowkeel Passage Tombs

Carrowkeel Passage Tombs

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Carrowkeel is a megalithic hill top passage tomb cemetery. There are 14 cairns located at different positions on the hilltops with a further group of 6 cairns extending west towards Keshcorran Mountain, which is also capped with a large cairn. The Carrowkeel tombs are protected National Monuments and are considered one of the "big four" passage tomb cemeteries in Ireland, along with Carrowmore, Brú na Bóinne and Loughcrew.

Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery

It is the largest cemetery of megalithic tombs in Ireland. It lies just south-west of Sligo town, right at the heart of the Cúil Írra Peninsula, an area alive with prehistoric significance. These are found at Carrowmore, a collection of burial monuments at the centre of the Cuil Iorra peninsula three kilometers west of Sligo town.

Classiebawn Castle

Classiebawn Castle

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

Situated on a hill overlooking the village of Mullaghmore, Classiebawn Castle is an Irish castle located in County Sligo. It is a fairy tale castle that sits on the steep coastline of the Irish coast, with a breathtaking view of the Ben Bulben, one of the most famous mountains in the area. It was designed in the Baronial style by Dublin architect James Rawson Carroll, and is constructed from a yellow-brown sandstone brought by sea from County Donegal.

Cloonacleigha Lough

Cloonacleigha Lough

Lake/ River/ Ponds

A freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. It is located in south County Sligo and forms part of the course of the Owenmore River. It measures about 1 km long and 1 kmwide. It lies about 30 kilometres south of Sligo and 7 km west of Ballymote. A good picnic destination in a silent area and there are also so many leisure activities too.

Colgagh Lough

Colgagh Lough

Lake/ River/ Ponds

Colgagh Lough is a lake in County Sligo and has an elevation of 24 metres. Colgagh Lough is situated nearby to Clogher More, northeast of Percy Mount. Some parts of the shoreline at Clogagh Lough are very soft so anglers should take care especially around the southern shoreline.

Coney Island,

Coney Island is the largest and the most famous of the three islands off the northern coast of the Coolera peninsula. It is an island of approximately 400 acres and is named after the vast quantity of rabbits which can be spotted on the island at any time. The island which is 1½ miles long by ¾ mile across is accessible by boat from the pier at Rosses Point, but the most popular route is by way of Cummeen Strand when the tide is out.

Creevykeel Court Tomb

Creevykeel Court Tomb

Outdoors - Other

Old Ruins

This well preserved site is said to be one of the largest court cairns in Ireland. The monument is located in the N15 Donegal to Sligo road, 200 meters north of Creevykeel cross-roads close to Cliffoney village in County Sligo. The original name for the Creevykeel monument is Caiseal an Bhaoisgin, the Fort of Bhaoisgin, Tober an Bhaoisgin being the name of the well near the cairn. A second megalithic monument existed 300 meters to the north, but it was demolished around 1890.

Dernish Island

The beautiful island of Dernish is located at Carns, off the coast of Moneygold, close to the old church at Ahamlish, in Carbury, the ancient kingdom of North Sligo. It is a tidal island, cut off from the mainland except at times of spring tides, when it is possible to walk out across the beach from O'Connor's Island.

Dolly's Cottage

A two hundred year old, traditional, thatched cottage, which was located in Strandhill, County Sligo. It is the only one of its kind in the area. IT is a stone built cottage with two rooms and a loft with original walls, roof, roof beams, fireplace and pouch bed. The cottage is named after Dolly Higgins, the last person to live here. It is open to the public at weekends during the summer months.

Dunmoran Strand

Dunmoran Strand

Beaches

Outdoors - Other

Dunmoran Strand is surrounded by dunes and lies in a quite, rural region. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the best swell direction is from the northwest. A hiking trail leads along the beach and all the way to Aughris Head, 2,5 kilometres away. This beach got Green Coast Award for 2018.

Easky Lough

Easky Lough

Lake/ River/ Ponds

Easky Lough is a freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. It is located in west County Sligo in the Ox Mountains. It is fed by mountain streams entering at the lake's southeastern end. Easky Lough is part of the Ox Mountains Bogs Special Area of Conservation.

Enniscrone

Enniscrone

Old Towns

Enniscrone is a small seaside town in County Sligo, Ireland. Its sandy beach, tourist campsite, and golf course all attract visitors. As of the 2016 census, the town had a population of 1,156 people. Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of ringfort sites in the townlands of Muckduff, Frankford, and Carrowhubbock North and South.

Enniscrone Beach

Enniscrone beach is one of the safest and tidiest beaches along the west coast of Ireland. It is almost 5km of fine sand, backed by sand dunes. It offers visitors a wide range of activities for all age groups, including almost 5km of safe beach, world famous seaweed baths, a marvellous 27 hole golf links course, a leisure centre, playground and amusement park.

Map of attractions in Sligo

Comments

For more information about Sligo, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Sligo