The Coolera Peninsula () is a
peninsula
A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula.
Etymology
The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
in
Sligo Bay,
County Sligo
County Sligo ( , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region and is part of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in ...
, 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 on its western shore, and Magheraboy, a suburb of
Sligo town.
The peninsula is characterised by a vast network of
Megalithic
A megalith is a large Rock (geology), stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. More than 35,000 megalithic structures have been identified across Europe, ranging ...
and
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
tombs, cairns and ringforts spread out across its landscape. The
Carrowmore Megalithic Complex dates back to the
4th millennium BC
File:4th millennium BC montage.jpg, 400x400px, From top left clockwise: The Temple of Ġgantija, one of the oldest freestanding structures in the world; Warka Vase; Bronocice pot with one of the earliest known depictions of a wheeled vehicle; Kish ...
, and is one of the largest megalithic complexes in Ireland. The 30,000-tonne tomb of
Queen Médb, known as
Miosgán Médhbh, sits atop
Knocknarea mountain and is clearly visible from much of northern Sligo, making it one of the county's most recognisable landmarks. Taken together,
Sligo County Council has applied for this network of ancient monuments to be recognised as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
.
In contrast to its ancient history, the peninsula's main settlement, Strandhill, was only established in the 20th century. Prior to this, locals settled inland due to the persistence of windblown sand along the coastal areas. In 1895,
Belfast
Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
-native Benjamin Murrow bought up land on the west coast of Coolera. In an attempt to attract visitors to the area, he constructed a road from the inland village to the sea, and had built a bathhouse and a hotel by 1913. This road, which ran uphill from the beach strand to the village, gave the town its English-language name, Strandhill.
Today, the town is one of County Sligo's top tourist destinations, and contains many hotels, bars, a golf course and the National Surf Centre, which opened in 2023.
The 20th century saw the westward growth of Sligo town, and the suburban area of Magheraboy is also located on the Coolera Peninsula. The
R292 road loops around the coastline of the peninsula, and connects Strandhill to Sligo town and
Ballysadare.
Places of interest
*Ballysadare Bay Natural Heritage Area
*
Carrowmore Megalithic Complex
*Cloverhill Megalthic Chamber
*
Coney Island
*Cullenamore Beach
*
Killaspugbrone Ruins
*
Knocknarea
*Lisheen House
*Maguins Island
*Marian Shrine
*
Miosgán Médhbh
*The Nun's Beach
*Rathcarrick Wood
*Rinn Ringforts
*Seafield House
*Seaweed Baths
*
Sligo Airport
*Strandhill Beach
*Strandhill Golf Club
*Strandhill People's Market
Gallery
File:County Sligo - Carrowmore Passage Tomb - 20190917134911.jpg, Carrowmore Passage Tomb
File:County Sligo - Queen Maeves Tomb Knocknarea - 20190914200442.jpg, Knocknarea
File:The Glen, Sligo in the summer.jpg, The Glen
File:Coney island from knocknarea 01.png, Coney Island
File:It S Mine (43244754).jpeg, Surfer at Strandhill
File:Maeve's Cairn - geograph.org.uk - 1880.jpg, Queen Méabh's Cairn
File:Strandhill Ireland.jpg, Strandhill Beach
File:Strandhill (1).jpg, Dunes at Strandhill Golf Club
File:Sligo-runway-with-mountain.jpg, Sligo Airport
See also
*
Carbury, County Sligo
*
Coastal landforms of Ireland
References
{{Peninsulas of Ireland
History of County Sligo
Beaches of County Sligo
Peninsulas of County Sligo