Sligo is surprising

Sligo is a county in the North-West of Ireland, has an area of 693 sqare miles (1,796 square km). It shares it's borders with Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo and the Atlantic Ocean.

Sligo itself lies along Sligo Bay and the Garavogue River, between Lough Gill and the Sea.

Sligo has ruins of a castle and friary dating from the 13th century. Early in the reign of James the 1st the town was granted a market and two annual fairs; in 1613 it was incorporated and received the privileges of a borough. The borough was disenfranchised in 1870.

Sligo is a centre for salmon fishing, and industries include textiles, pharmaceuticals, and dehydrated foods. Some cattle are exported.

At nearby Carrowmore is a large group of megalithic monuments, and on Knocknarea, west of Sligo, is a cairn traditionally held to be the burial place of Queen Maeve of Connaught.

Within a small area County Sligo has a fine variety of mountain, lake and coastal scenery. In the west of the county the Ox mountains form a background to the coastal plain, while north of Sligo town the landscape is dominated by steep-sided and flat-topped limestone hills. 

For the holiday maker in Sligo there are seaside resorts such as Enniscrone and Strandhill, golf at Rosses Point and other centres, excellent lake and river angling, hill climbing and many other interesting activities.