Rosses Point ( or ) is a village in

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 Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and also the name of the surrounding peninsula. Rosses Point is at the entrance to

Sligo Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...

Harbour from Sligo Bay with Oyster Island being the long thin landmass notable when entering the village from Sligo town and Inishmulclohy (or Coney Island) being the second and larger island that is encountered.

History and places of interest

Lighthouses

Metal Man Lighthouse

The Metal Man lighthouse, a 3.7 metre (12 ft) high guardian statue placed offshore at the point by local seafarers in 1821 is maintained by the Commissioners of Irish Lights.

Oyster Island Lighthouse

The freestanding 12m Oyster Island Lighthouse is prominently visible at the end west end of Oyster Island from the R291 road into Rosses Point.

Lower Rosses Lighthouse

The Lower Rosses Light is an 8m high square structure on wooden staves to guide boats down the Needles Channel to

Drumcliff Drumcliff or Drumcliffe () is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. It is north of Sligo, Sligo town on the N15 road (Ireland), N15 road on a low gravel ridge between the mountain of Ben Bulben and Drumcliff Bay. It is on the Drumcliff River, o ...

bay. Originally built in 1908 it is now solar powered. It can be seen at the northern end of the Rosses Point Peninsula.

Waiting on Shore monument

The "Waiting on Shore" monument, appropriately situated near the

RNLI The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. Founded in 1824 ...

lifeboat station, depicts a woman holding her arms out to sea. A plate at the base includes the following:

''Lost at sea, lost at sea'' ''Or in the evening tide'' ''We loved you, we miss you'' ''May God with you abide.''

Spanish shipwrecks

In 1985 at Streedagh Strand, north of Rosses Point, marine archaeologists uncovered the wrecks of three ships of the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada, or the Enterprise of England, ) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat without previous naval ...

, ''La Lavia'', '' La Juliana'', and ''Santa Maria de Vison'', which a storm drove onto this coast in September 1588.

Elsinore House

The poet

William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th century in literature, 20th-century literature. He was ...

and his brother, the artist Jack Butler Yeats, spent their summer holidays at Elsinore House, in Rosses Point. Elsinore House was the seat of the Middleton Family where the Yeats brothers spent many a summer with their cousins. The house was built by the smuggler John Black or Black Jack. It is said to be still haunted by the ghosts of smugglers tapping on the windows at night. The house has fallen into disrepair and, even though restoration plans have been proposed, it remains derelict. In 2016 a Heritage Council funded conservation study was proposed as a first step in securing the future of the historic Elsinore House.

Pier and lifeboat station

The

Royal National Lifeboat Institution The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on s ...

Sligo Bay Lifeboat Station is built next to the pier which harbours a number of fishing vessels.

Amenities

Rosses Point is home to the Sligo Yacht Club, who hold sailing courses for children and adults in the summer months. Also held annually is the West of Ireland Championship which is hosted by County Sligo Golf Club. Rosses Point has several Blue Flag strands which safe for swimming. Sea angling and boat charters also operate from the area with boats also servicing Coney Island and Inishmurray, and

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the Ecological conservation, conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conserv ...

cruises.

Events

The Rosses Point Shanty Festival is held annually on a weekend around mid-June with profits to the RNLI. As well as songs and music there are duck, boating and swim, races, poetry recitals and a cake dance. Rosses Point beach is home to the Metalman Swim Series, established in 2009 and taking place annually in June. It is considered the largest swimming event in the north-west region.

Transport

Rosses Point is 8 km from

town along the R291 road. Bus Éireann route S2 provides an hourly bus service during the day. The ''Urban Cycle Sligo'' travel scheme route 006 links Rosses Point to Scotsmans Walk in Sligo Town with dedicated cycle lanes in the R291 road.

Notable people

Peter Mair Peter Mair (3 March 1951 – 15 August 2011) was an Irish political scientist. He was a professor of comparative politics at the European University Institute in Florence. Career Peter Mair was born in Rosses Point, County Sligo, Ireland, an ...

(1951–2011), political scientist, born Rosses Point * W. J. M. Starkie (1860–1920), scholar and education reformer, born Rosses Point

References

External links

Oyster Island Lighthouse

Metal man floating 'lighthouse'

Metal Man Lighthouse

Rosses Point Church of Ireland (Sligo Cathedral Church Group)
{{Irish lighthouses Towns and villages in County Sligo Beaches of County Sligo