County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county.

Sligo County Council Sligo County Council ( ga, Comhairle Chontae Shligigh) is the authority responsible for local government in County Sligo, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and ...

is the

local authority Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

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.

History

The county was officially formed in 1585 by Sir Henry Sidney, Lord Deputy of Ireland, but did not come into effect until the chaos of the Nine Years' War ended, in 1603. Its boundaries reflect the Ó Conchobhair Sligigh

confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

of Lower Connacht ( ga, Íochtar Connacht) as it was at the time of the Elizabethan conquest. This confederation consisted of the tuatha, or territories, of Cairbre Drumcliabh, Tír Fhíacrach Múaidhe, Tír Ollíol, Luíghne,

Corann Corann was an ancient Irish túath in northwest Connacht represented now by the present barony of Corran in County Sligo. The name is derived in legend from Corann, the harper of Dian Cecht of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Organisation Ballymote ...

and Cúl ó bhFionn. Under the system of

surrender and regrant During the Tudor conquest of Ireland (c.1540–1603), "surrender and regrant" was the legal mechanism by which Irish clans were to be converted from a power structure rooted in clan and kin loyalties, to a late-feudal system under the English l ...

each tuath was subsequently made into an English barony: Carbury, Tireragh, Tirerril, Leyny,

Corran Corran may refer to: Given name *Corran Addison, South African canoeist *Corran Horn, fictional character from the ''Star Wars'' franchise * Corran McLachlan, scientist and entrepreneur *Coran: character from Voltron Surname * Andrew Corran, born ...

and Coolavin. The capital of the newly shired county was placed at Sligo. A causewayed enclosure discovered in 2003 at Maugheraboy is one of the earliest indications of

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...

farming activity on the Cúil Irra Peninsula. The nearby megalithic cemetery of

Carrowmore Carrowmore ( ga, An Cheathrú Mhór, 'the great quarter') is a large group of megalithic monuments on the Coolera Peninsula to the west of Sligo, Ireland. They were built in the 4th millennium BC, during the Neolithic (New Stone Age). There ...

forms part of a huge complex of Stone Age remains connecting Carrowkeel in south Sligo to the

Ox Mountains The Ox Mountains or Slieve Gamph () are a mountain range in County Sligo on the west coast of Ireland. They are also known as Saint Patrick's Mountains after the saint who built churches on its slopes and left his name to some of its wells. Ge ...

, to the Cuil Irra Peninsula, where the passage tomb named after the legendary Queen Maeve, Miosgán Médhbh, dominates the western skyline from the crest of Knocknarea Mountain. The Caves of Kesh, famous in Irish

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...

, are in south County Sligo. A recent decoding of the work of

Marinus of Tyre Marinus of Tyre ( grc-gre, Μαρῖνος ὁ Τύριος, ''Marînos ho Týrios''; 70–130) was a Greek geographer, cartographer and mathematician, who founded mathematical geography and provided the underpinnings of Claudius Ptolemy' ...

and

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importance ...

shows Sligo as the likely location of

Nagnata Nagnata ( el, Νάγνατα) or Magnata ( el, Μάγνατα) is a town noted on the co-ordinate map of the 2nd century AD Alexandrian scholar Claudius Ptolemy in the territory of the Nagnatae (Ναγνᾶται). It is located in northwest Hiber ...

, an important place of assembly in the Iron Age. Famous medieval manuscripts written in the area include the ''

Book of Ballymote The ''Book of Ballymote'' (, RIA MS 23 P 12, 275 foll.), was written in 1390 or 1391 in or near the town of Ballymote, now in County Sligo, but then in the tuath of Corann. Production and history This book was compiled towards the end of th ...

'', written in the territory of Corran, the ''

Great Book of Lecan The (Great) Book of Lecan (Irish: ''Leabhar (Mór) Leacáin'') (RIA, MS 23 P 2) is a medieval Irish manuscript written between 1397 and 1418 in Castle Forbes, Lecan (Lackan, Leckan; Irish ''Leacán''), in the territory of Tír Fhíacrach, nea ...

'', and the ''

Yellow Book of Lecan The Yellow Book of Lecan (YBL; Irish: ''Leabhar Buidhe Leacáin''), or TCD MS 1318 (''olim'' H 2.16), is a late medieval Irish manuscript. It contains much of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, besides other material. It is held in the Librar ...

'', both written in Tir Fhiacrach. The patron of the ''

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...

'' was Fearghal Ó Gadhra of Coolavin in south County Sligo.

Local government and politics

is the governing body for the county. At the

2019 Sligo County Council election An election to all 18 seats on Sligo County Council was held on 24 May 2019 as part of the 2019 Irish local elections. County Sligo was divided into 3 local electoral areas (LEAs) to elect councillors for a five-year term of office on the ele ...

, it was divided into three

local electoral area A local electoral area (LEA; ga, Toghlimistéir Áitiúil) is an electoral area for elections to local authorities in Ireland. All elections use the single transferable vote. The Republic of Ireland is divided into 166 LEAs, with an average p ...

s (LEAs):

Ballymote Ballymote () is a market town in southern County Sligo, approx. 24 km south east of Sligo town in the province of Connacht, which is located in the north-west of Ireland. Ballymote lies in the barony of Corran. A commuter town with a st ...

– Tobercurry (7 seats), Sligo– Strandhill (6 seats), and Sligo–

Drumcliff Drumcliff or Drumcliffe () is a village in County Sligo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is 8 km (5 miles) north of Sligo, Sligo town on the N15 road (Ireland), N15 road on a low gravel ridge between the mountain of Ben Bulben and Drumcl ...

(5 seats). Each of these form a municipal district, with the that containing Sligo–Strandhill known as the borough district of Sligo.

Former districts

Under the

Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. 37) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that established a system of local government in Ireland similar to that already created for England, ...

, County Sligo was divided into the rural districts of Boyle No. 2, Dromore West, Sligo, and Tobercurry, and the urban district of Sligo. Unlike most urban districts, Sligo had retained its borough corporation. The rural districts were abolished in 1925. Sligo Borough Corporation became a borough council in 2002, before being abolished in 2014 in common with all borough and town councils in Ireland.

National politics

County Sligo is part of the Dáil constituency of Sligo–Leitrim (4 TDs). At the 2020 election,

Martin Kenny Martin Kenny (born 1 October 1971) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Sligo–Leitrim constituency since the 2016 general election. Career Kenny became a member of Leitrim County Council in 2001, wh ...

(

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...

), Frank Feighan (

Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil � ...

), Marc MacSharry (

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...

) and

Marian Harkin Marian Harkin (born 26 November 1953) is an Irish Independent politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Sligo–Leitrim constituency since the 2020 general election, and previously from 2002 to 2007. She previously served as a Membe ...

( Ind) were elected.

Coat of arms

This coat of arms was adopted by

in 1980. The design on the black shield, which shows an open book on which there is a Celtic Cross and a red rose, represents collectively the literary and cultural history of Sligo. These refer to such early works as the Books of Ballymote and Lecan, while the rose was a significant theme in the poetry of W.B.Yeats. The escallop shells sprinkled on the shield refer to the origin of the word Sligeach – "a place abounding in shells". The boar's head refers to the "wild boar of Benbulben" in the Diarmuid and Gráinne myth. The colour scheme of the crest incorporates the Sligo GAA colours of black and white.

Culture

County Sligo is the setting for a large number of the texts in the Mythological Cycles. The story of Diarmad and Grainne has its final act played out on Ben Bulben. The Second Battle of Moytirra is associated with Moytirra in South County Sligo. Other texts include Bruidean Ceise Corann, set on Keash Mountain. The rich array of megalithic monuments in the area has been an inspiration to artists and writers such as Sir Samuel Ferguson. The poet and Nobel laureate

William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

(1865–1939) spent much of his childhood in northern Sligo and the county's landscapes (particularly the Isle of Innisfree, in Lough Gill) were the inspiration for much of his poetry. Yeats said, "the place that has really influenced my life most is Sligo." He is buried in North County Sligo, "

Under Ben Bulben "Under Ben Bulben" is a poem written by Irish poet W. B. Yeats. Composition It is believed to be one of the last poems he wrote, being drafted when he was 73, in August 1938 when his health was already poor (he died in January 1939). Publicat ...

", in

. William Yeats' brother

Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

, a painter, also was inspired by the Sligo landscape.

Music

County Sligo has a long history of

traditional music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

. The south of the county is particularly noted with such musical luminaries as James Morrison, Michael Coleman, Paddy Killoran, Fred Finn,

Peter Horan Peter Horan (1926 – 17 October 2010) was an Irish flute and fiddle player from Killavil, County Sligo, who is known for having developed a unique style influenced by the local irish fiddling tradition. He was called "one of the country's bes ...

, Joe O'Dowd, Jim Donoghue, Martin Wynne, Oisín Mac Diarmada (of

Téada Téada, an Irish band, plays traditional music. Téada is Irish for "strings". The five members of the band are fiddle player Oisín Mac Diarmada, button accordion player Paul Finn, Damien Stenson performs on flute, Seán Mc Elwain switches ...

), tin-whistle player

Carmel Gunning Carmel Gunning is an Irish composer and musician, from Sligo, Ireland. Gunning is one of Ireland's most accomplished tin whistle players who is also known for her singing and flute playing and also plays guitar and button accordion. Gunning's ...

and the band

Dervish Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity (''tariqah''), or more narrowly to a religious mendicant, who chose or accepted material poverty. The latter usage i ...

. The county has many traditional music festivals and one of the most well-known is the

Queen Maeve International Summer School The Queen Maeve International Summer School, (Irish language, Irish Scoil Samhraidh Miosgán Medbha) is one of Ireland's largest traditional music summer schools, held annually since 1999 and was founded by Sligo tin whistle player Carmel Gunning. ...

, a traditional Irish Music summer school of music and dance which is held annually in August in Sligo Town. On the more contemporary music scene there are

Westlife Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporarily di ...

, Tabby Callaghan and The Conway Sisters who are from Sligo. Strandhill, about 9 km west of Sligo, hosts the Strandhill Guitar Festival each year, featuring a wide variety of guitar music and musicians.

Sport

The county is home to League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rovers, who have played home matches at The Showgrounds since they were founded in 1928 and won the league on 3 occasions. Their colours are red and white, hence their nickname the '

Bit 'O' Red The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represented ...

Brother Walfrid Andrew Kerins ( ga, Aindreas Ó Céirín; 18 May 1840 – 17 April 1915), known by his religious name Brother Walfrid, was an Irish Marist Brother and is best remembered for being the founder of Scottish football club Celtic. Life Walfrid wa ...

, the founder of

Celtic Football Club The Celtic Football Club, commonly known as Celtic (), is a Scottish professional football club based in Glasgow, which plays in the Scottish Premiership. The club was founded in 1887 with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the immigran ...

, was born in

, in the south of the county. The county is represented in Gaelic Games by Sligo GAA. Their colours are black and white. Sligo has won the Connacht Championship 3 times.

Geography and subdivisions

Sligo is the 22nd largest of Ireland's 32 counties in area and the 26th largest in terms of population. It is the fourth largest of Connacht's 5 counties in size and third largest in terms of population. The County borders County Mayo to the west, County Roscommon to the south and south-east and

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...

to the northeast.

Largest towns in County Sligo (2016 Census)

# Sligo, 19,452 #

Tubbercurry Tubbercurry or Tobercurry () is the second-largest town in terms of both population and land area in County Sligo, Ireland. It lies at the foot of the Ox Mountains, on the N17 national primary road. The village is twinned with Viarmes in Fra ...

, 1,986 # Strandhill, 1,753 #

Collooney Collooney or Coloony () is a town in County Sligo, Ireland. Toponymy Collooney is thought to derive from . Reverend Terrence O'Rorke has previously also suggested ''Culmaine'', as Collooney is designated this way in such works as ''the annals ...

, 1,610 #

, 1,549 # Ballisodare, 1,350 #

Enniscrone Enniscrone – also spelt Inniscrone and officially named Inishcrone () – 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 ...

, 1,223 # Coolaney, 990 # Rosses Point, 883 # Grange, 586

Towns and villages

Achonry Achonry (; ) is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. The old name is Achad Cain Conairi. St. Nath Í ua hEadhra (O'Hara) founded a monastery here. The foundation gave the later diocese its name. The monastery was founded on land granted by the ...

* Aclare *

Ballaghnatrillick Ballaghnatrillick (), locally Ballintrillick, is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. Local attractions include the three stones (from which the village gets its name). It also has a church dedicated to St Brigid. Ballintrillick, as the area i ...

Ballinafad Ballinafad () is a village in the south of County Sligo in the west of Ireland. The village overlooks Lough Arrow, and is itself overlooked by the ruins of Ballinafad Castle. Ambrosio O'Higgins, 1st Marquess of Osorno, The 1st Marquess of Osor ...

* Ballygawley *

Ballintogher Ballintogher () is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. It is located approximately 8 kilometers southeast of the county town of Sligo on the R290 road between Ballygawley to the west and Dromahair in County Leitrim to the north-east. Known ...

* Ballynacarrow *

Ballysadare Ballysadare (), locally also Ballisodare, is a town in County Sligo, Ireland. It is about 7 kilometres (4 miles) south of Sligo town. The town developed on an important crossing of the Owenmore River. History Toponymy The Ox Mountains () ar ...

* Beltra * Bunninadden * Carney *

Castlebaldwin Castlebaldwin or Bellanagarrigeeny () is a townland and small village in County Sligo, Ireland. The castle outside the village of Castlebaldwin is a fortified 17th-century house rather than a medieval castle, with gun slits in the walls and a ...

* Cliffony *

Cloonacool Cloonacool () is a village in County Sligo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Cloonacool sits at the foot of the Ox Mountains, 15 km southwest of Coolaney along the Ballina, County Mayo, Ballina road, and the intersection of the road to Tubbercurry ...

* Coolaney *

Dromore West Dromore West () is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. Dromore West is situated on the Dunneil River and sits between the Ox Mountains and the Atlantic coast. A river walk runs from just below the petrol station towards the sea. There is an old ...

Easky Easky or Easkey (; ) is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. It is on the Atlantic coast, from Sligo and from Ballina, County Mayo. The village name derives from the Irish language term for fish ("iasc") and "Iascaigh" literally means "aboundi ...

Geevagh Geevagh () is a village in the south-east corner of County Sligo, Ireland, on the R284 regional road. The name, meaning "the windy (place)", describes a climatic feature of the village and its surrounding countryside. The name Geevagh also r ...

* Grange * Gorteen *

Kilglass Kilglass or Kilglas () is a rural townland in County Sligo, Ireland, in the hinterland of Enniscrone. The area is the location of an Anglican church, built in 1829 with funding provided by the Board of First Fruits, and renovated in 1996. The ...

Monasteraden Monasteraden () is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. The village is located on the shores of Lough Gara. St Aiden's church is the village's church. Other sites include Lough Gara Lodge, Slí na Croí's Roundhouse Ecolodge, Drury's pub and th ...

Mullaghmore Mullaghmore may refer to the following places in Ireland: General * Mullaghmore, County Clare, a limestone hill * Mullaghmore Peninsula, a peninsula in County Sligo ** Mullaghmore, County Sligo, a village on the Mullaghmore Peninsula * Mullaghmore, ...

Riverstown Riverstown, historically called ''Ballyederdaowen'' (), is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. Known for its musical tradition it is located at a bridging point of the River Unshin (Arrow), 17.2 km (10 miles) south of Sligo town and 4 ...

* Rosses Point * Skreen * Strandhill * Toorlestraun *

Places of interest

Benbulbin Benbulbin ( ga, Binn Ghulbain), sometimes Benbulben or Ben Bulben, is a large flat-topped nunatak rock formation in County Sligo, Ireland. It is part of the Dartry Mountains, in an area sometimes called "Yeats Country". Benbulbin is a protect ...

Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery Carrowkeel is a cluster of passage tombs in south County Sligo, Ireland. They were built in the 4th millennium BC, during the Neolithic era. The monuments are on the Bricklieve Hills (''An Bricshliabh'', 'the speckled hills'), overlooking Loug ...

* Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery * Caves of Kesh *

Coolera Peninsula The Coolera Peninsula () is a peninsula in Sligo Bay, County Sligo, Ireland. It is the most populous of County Sligo's peninsulas, and the second-largest by land area. The primary population centres on Coolera are the coastal town of Strandhill ...

Curlew Mountains The Curlew Mountains () are a range of low-lying hills situated between Boyle and Castlebaldwin in northeastern Connacht. Toponymy The assignation of the name ''Curlew'' to the mountains may not relate the Curlew bird, but rather to the ga, cor ...

Dartry Mountains The Dartry Mountains ( ga, Sléibhte Dhartraí) are a mountain range in the north west of Ireland, in the north of counties Sligo and Leitrim. They lie between Lough Melvin, Lough Gill and Lough MacNean. The highest point is Truskmore at . O ...

* Easkey Bog * Glencar Lough *

Knocknarea Knocknarea (; ) is a large prominent hill west of Sligo town in County Sligo, Ireland, with a height of . Knocknarea is visually striking as it has steep limestone cliffs and stands on the Cúil Irra peninsula overlooking the Atlantic coast. A ...

Lough Arrow Lough Arrow () is a freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. This large, scenic lake covers an area of and lies mostly in County Sligo with a smaller part in County Roscommon. It is a popular trout fishing lake. Geography Lough Arrow lies m ...

Lough Gill Lough Gill () is a freshwater lough (lake) mainly situated in County Sligo, but partly in County Leitrim, in Ireland. Lough Gill provides the setting for William Butler Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree". Location and environment Lough ...

Maugherow Peninsula The Maugherow Peninsula () is the largest and westernmost peninsula of County Sligo, Ireland. It is also less commonly referred to as the Raghly Peninsula, after Raghly Point (), which is itself a headland of the peninsula. The peninsula acts as ...

Mullaghmore Peninsula The Mullaghmore Peninsula (), also referred to as Mullaghmore Head, is a small peninsula in the north of County Sligo, Ireland. The coastal village of Mullaghmore is the peninsula's sole settlement. The village has 136 year-round residents accord ...

* Rosses Point Peninsula * Sligo Abbey * Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird

People

* ''

Feldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several L ...

'' The 3rd Earl of Carlingford (1639–1704) – a very senior-ranking military commander for the Habsburg monarchy in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

(or the Austrian Empire). Lord Carlingford was born in

and served for many years as the

chief minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...

of the

Duchy of Lorraine The Duchy of Lorraine (french: Lorraine ; german: Lothringen ), originally Upper Lorraine, was a duchy now included in the larger present-day region of Lorraine in northeastern France. Its capital was Nancy. It was founded in 959 following th ...

. * El Marqués de Osorno (1720-1801) – Spanish colonial administrator *

Owen Connellan Owen Connellan (1797 – 4 August 1871) was an Irish scholar who translated the Annals of the Four Masters into English in 1846. Life He was born in County Sligo, the son of a farmer who claimed descent from Lóegaire mac Néill, High King ...

(1797-1871) – Irish Scholar, translated the ''

'' in 1846. * George Stokes (1819-1903) – mathematician, physicist *

Lola Montez Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, Countess of Landsfeld (17 February 1821 – 17 January 1861), better known by the stage name Lola Montez (), was an Irish dancer and actress who became famous as a Spanish dancer, courtesan, and mistress of King Ludwig ...

(1821-1861) – dancer, actress *

Michael Corcoran Michael Corcoran (September 21, 1827 – December 22, 1863) was an Irish- American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a close confidant of President Abraham Lincoln. As its colonel, he led the 69th New York Regiment t ...

(1827-1863) –

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

general in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

(1840-1915) – founder of

Celtic FC The Celtic Football Club, commonly known as Celtic (), is a Scottish professional football club based in Glasgow, which plays in the Scottish Premiership. The club was founded in 1887 with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the immigran ...

(1865-1939) – poet *

Constance Markievicz Constance Georgine Markievicz ( pl, Markiewicz ; ' Gore-Booth; 4 February 1868 – 15 July 1927), also known as Countess Markievicz and Madame Markievicz, was an Irish politician, revolutionary, nationalist, suffragist, socialist, and the firs ...

(1868–1927) – revolutionary Irish nationalist, the first woman elected to the British Parliament * Jack Butler Yeats (1871-1957) – Artist *

Martin Moffat Martin Joseph Moffat Victoria Cross, VC (15 April 1882 – 5 January 1946) was an Irish people, Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to Unite ...

(1882-1946) - soldier, recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

* Michael Coleman (1891-1945) – traditional music * James Morrison (1893-1947) – traditional music * Martin Savage (1897-1917) – Irish republican * Nace O'Dowd (1931-1987) - Gaelic football captain for the Sligo county team * Mary O'Hara (born 1935) – singer * Ray McSharry (born 1938) –

Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parli ...

(TD) for the Sligo–Leitrim constituency from 1969 to 1988;

Tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the deputy head of the government of Ireland and thus holder of its second-most senior office. The Tánaiste is appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach. The current office holder is former Tao ...

. He also served as

Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...

(MEP) for the Connacht–Ulster constituency. * Scott Fredericks (1943–2017) - actor *

Neil Jordan Neil Patrick Jordan (born 25 February 1950) is an Irish film director, screenwriter, novelist and short-story writer. His first book, ''Night in Tunisia (short story collection), Night in Tunisia'', won a Somerset Maugham Award and the Guardian ...

(born 1950) – film director, screenwriter, novelist and short-story writer *

(born 1953) –

(TD) for the Sligo–Leitrim constituency; previously a

(MEP) from 2004 to 2019. *

Pauline McLynn Pauline McLynn (born 11 July 1962) is an Irish character actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Mrs Doyle in the Channel 4 sitcom ''Father Ted'', Libby Croker in the Channel 4 comedy drama '' Shameless'', Tip Haddem in the BBC ...

(born 1962) – actress; Mrs Doyle in the sitcom ''

Father Ted ''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4. It aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May 1998, including ...

'' * Tommy Fleming (born 1971) – singer *

Shane Filan Shane Steven Filan (born 5 July 1979) is an Irish pop singer. He is one of the two lead singers of pop vocal group Westlife, which was formed in 1998, disbanded in 2012, and regrouped in 2018. Westlife have released thirteen albums, embarked on ...

(born 1979) – a member of the pop band Westlife *

Kian Egan Kian John Francis Egan (born 29 April 1980) is an Irish pop singer, songwriter and musician, best known as a member of pop group Westlife. Westlife has released twelve albums, embarked on thirteen world tours, and won numerous awards, becoming ...

(born 1980) – a member of the pop band

Mark Feehily Markus "Mark" Michael Patrick Feehily (born 28 May 1980) is an Irish singer and one of the two lead vocalists of the pop vocal group Westlife. Westlife has released twelve albums, embarked on thirteen world tours and won several awards, becomin ...

(born 1980) – a member of the pop band Westlife

Railways

The Dublin–Sligo railway line is operated by Iarnród Éireann in Ireland. It starts in Dublin Connolly station, terminating at Sligo Mac Diarmada railway station in Sligo. In the county there are stations at

and

References

External links

Collection of Sligo Landscape PhotographsSligo County CouncilSligo Borough CouncilMap of SligoSligoheritage.comHistory of Sligo, County and Town By William Gregory Wood-Martin Song, "Beautiful Sligo" sung by Michael McGloin,YouTube Video, with images.
* {{coord, 54, 15, N, 8, 40, W, region:IE_type:adm1st_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Sligo Sligo Sligo