Sligo Town, Ireland. STILL BEAUTIFUL after surviving invasion, war, cholera and famine.

Here we are in the lovely town of Sligo on the west coast of Ireland. It’s a reasonable sized town with a population of just over 20 thousand but to give you some idea of how that measures up in Irish terms, It’s the 24th largest urban centre in the country… but, the largest in the County.
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The river is called the Garavogue River. That is, it is these days! In fact it was called the river Sligeach for centuries before and so it was the river that gave its name to the town, which when anglicised became Sligo. In fact in means ‘abounding in shells’ and relates to the abundance of shellfish found in the estuary.
We walk up to the Abbey gates before turning and coming back down into the town, as we've visited it in another film. It’s a fantastic Norman building dating from 1252, you can check that out by watching Naked Ireland’s Sligo Abbey video:
• MUST-SEE SLIGO ABBEY!!...
We visit Teeling street next and the impressive Sligo Courthouse, built in 1878 and designed by James Rawson Carroll in the French Gothic style.
However, as we turn to go back down Teeling Street you can see that there are a lot of buildings around here that are in need of serious renovation.
That aside, Sligo has much to commend it. It’s perhaps not as beautiful as Galway or Westport here in the west, but it has a lot to offer and some lovely areas as we’ll see. It also plays host to several festivals each year, among them, for music lovers, the Sligo Jazz Project in July and the Sligo baroque festival (or should I say Bar - oak) for the Americans watching. That one takes place last weekend in September. Sligo is popular during the tourist season. I’m visiting in October so we’re out of season and its consequently a lot quieter, but if you come here in July and Aug, expect it to be hiving with people. There’ll be a great vibe here in the town, and if the weather’s good you have the beaches of Strandhill (now a surfing resort) and Rosses Point not far away.
Market Street is a nice broad junction marked with a very striking memorial. This statue commemorates the 1798 rising in Ireland a rising led by Wolf Tone and the United Irishmen.
Walking through the town it is perhaps difficult to imagine some of the history connected to this town. For example, during the medieval period the town was burned, sacked or besieged around 49 times. More war and strife followed in the 17th and 18th Centuries, so it all makes you wonder how there’s anything still here at all! These are thankfully quieter times on the west coast of Ireland.
Aside from the wars and conflict already mentioned, Sligo had a Cholera outbreak in 1832 wiping out a large proportion of the population and then during the great famine between 1847 and 1851 the port of Sligo was used as an exit point for 30,000 irish people who were emigrating. There’s no doubt that this town has had more than it’s fair share of misery. Those days are behind it now though. Now it has some beautiful shop fronts and in this video we can see the real beauty of this place. There are many buildings in Sligo with architectural merit.
We pass the attractive Sligo Post Office and arrive at the junction of Wine Street. Why wine street, that’s a good question, if you know the answer to that please let me know in the comments. Did they really import wine here do you think. I mean the Irish drink plenty of wine nowadays, but historically we’re not known for imbibing such a refined beverage.
We cross the bridge which will take us across the Garavogue river again with the Sligo Art Gallery on our right. The strange glass building on our left, it’s called the Glasshouse Hotel. I seem to remember back in the day it was the site of the old Silver Swan hotel. The Silver Swan was the jewel in the crown of Sligo, a great place to hear music and one of the venues of the Irish showband scene. Nice location for a hotel. I always used to think so.
Straight ahead of us now is the W.B Yeats statue. W.B. Yeats is one of Ireland’s great writers - I say one of them we have a great many, including 3 Nobel Laurates for literature. Yeats described Sligo as the “domain and landscape of his poetic imagination”. A good deal of his poetry makes reference to the place and he made Sligo his final resting place. You can visit his grave in beautiful Drumcliff church, not far from here. Or if that’s not possible for you, visit through the magic of Naked Ireland, as I have a film on Drumcliff and Yeat’s Grave.
• Nobel Prize winning po...
That’s it for this film but remember if you subscribe now you’ll have the luck of the Irish for at least 7 years. So go on, subscribe. And I’ll see you all in the next Naked Ireland video.

[@matthewgleeson5537]

As a lad who grow up in and around sligo, wine street is named wine street due to the majority of the first houses built having wine cellers as they were built by wealthy merchants.

[@nakedireland]

Thanks Matthew, that makes sense, except that one wouldn’t have expected even wealthy Irish merchants to be big wine enthusiasts - I wonder were they importing it?

[@matthewgleeson5537]

@nakedireland Sligo was a very busy port at one point so I assume they were also after you were at the court house you said that you were back on "Abbey Street " it was actually Castle Street named for two separate castles that once stood there and after the post office and before the Glass house you said that you were passing the "Sligo art gallery" it's actually the Yates memorial building.

[@nakedireland]

There’s nothing like a bit of local knowledge Matthew. Thanks for watching, and for your corrections.

[@rasangikanarangoda1358]

Looks very beautiful and rich in architecture. Love to see you Sligo❤❤❤

[@nakedireland]

It’s here waiting for you. Come visit.

[@desertplantsofavalon]

Awwww I LOVED watching this, I used to live in Sligo for 6 years before moving to Belfast, I used to work at Angel World on Hyde bridge, so amazing to re visit again from your video, thank you so much for sharing XXXX

[@nakedireland]

The pleasure is all mine. Thanks so much for watching.

[@ciar67]

Always loved Sligo, we lived in Crossmolina a few miles south in Mayo. Love walks along Eniscrone and a Guinness or two after. Staying in Sligo this summer escaping the Spanish heat, can't wait for some wild Atlantic trout. Really enjoy the vlogs

[@nakedireland]

Many thanks. I have great memories of holidays in Eniscrone myself.

[@desmcharris]

What a beautiful country. When you live in Australia, the one thing you miss is the lack of beautiful old building's. There are of course old buildings, though city's like Brisbane have torn down many of the best. But look how Ireland has managed it Urban heritage. I know from experience that there are some rough joints, but what a fantastic wee city is Sligo!! Cheers again Greg for a heart warming presentation.

[@nakedireland]

So glad you enjoyed it.

[@kathleenlucas1334]

Will be in Sligo in mid-October (3 nights at Rosses Point). This is informative and helpful in planning in-town time.

[@WelshRob1964]

Another very enjoyable video Greg 👍. In many ways I thought Sligo like any other Irish town, it reminded me of so many others. That said it does look nice, I like the river running through it and some lovely architecture, not all soulless modern shop fronts. If I ever get over that way I would like to visit there, maybe sample one of those pubs 😁, certainly enjoy the great Irish food 😉. I do miss the great food and the huge portions you got when eating out, and being a proper piggy 🐖 I would always clear my plate 😆.

[@nakedireland]

Huge portions is right! Many thanks for watching again.

[@WelshRob1964]

@@nakedireland The Irish do know how to feed you 😆 No wonder I love the country so much 😁

[@nakedireland]

⁠it’s not about quality Rob, it’s about quantity!

[@WelshRob1964]

@@nakedireland Amen. I used to go to a place called Famers Kitchen just on the outskirts of Wexford in Drinagh, best grub and needed a fork lift to carry me out of there. No wonder I gained so much weight living and working in Ireland 🤣🤣🤣

[@nakedireland]

⁠The Irish meal isn’t always the healthy option!

[@michelles2299]

My family on my mums side O'neill were from Sligo, I have never been there but would love to visit 🙏🌹

[@nakedireland]

Michelle, you must visit it. Thanks for watching.

[@LeagueofIrishBall]

Never been to Sligo. Heading there tomorrow for Sligo Rovers vs Dundalk at the Showgrounds. Great video, very well put together and executed. Really enjoyed the background music, along with the street noise and well recorded voice over the top, very nicely done. Great work 👍 I have subscribed

[@nakedireland]

Ah, thanks so much and enjoy the match.

[@belfast01uk]

Very informative video. Drove through Sligo many many times but stayed last year for 3 days and it was wonderful. Went to Knocknarea to see Queen Maeve's Cairn which is near Strandhill and it was a fantastic climb through the very steep forest along elevated railway sleepers which were doubled up, otherwise we would never have made it. Looking forward to you next video. BTW you have a great voice.

[@nakedireland]

Ah cheers, I know one thing, I’m no David Attenborough!!

[@desmcharris]

My niece, was responsible for having Maeve's Cairn protected as a National Heritage Site. She was then the head of Sligo Co. Archaeology. When out for a walk up on Ben Bulbin she found the Cairn being pulled apart by idiots. It also hadn't been officially surveyed, so she had a friend of her husband fly his chopper with her photographing it. Then she launched a nationwide campaign to have it protected.

[@nakedireland]

Wow, that's people power!

[@linarez90]

It looks nice and clean.

[@nakedireland]

Yes, it’s beautiful

[@johnhumphreys4923]

From Fermanagh. Sligo up there with Enniskillen as a well preserved town However, for financial reasons Enniskillen is always full of Sligo people shopping here, as they get more more for their money, here in the north. Not too sure about a shop owner there, as here, LIDLE and TESCO full of southern cars. A pictorial video, fine, but that's it.

[@onnnbbb]

I remember when I was younger about 15yrs ago now my mother would finish work on a Friday pick me and my brother up from school and go straight for Asda in Enniskillen at that time was way cheaper

[@sulabhawadmare9125]

🙋‍♂️ COOL AND BEAUTIFUL IS ❤

[@craigkirkwood4060]

I went to Sligo one time on a bus tour and stayed at the Sligo Southern Hotel. They didn’t give us much time to visit the town though. I’d definitely like to walk around some day!

[@nakedireland]

Time for you to revisit I think Craig?

[@eddiestaunton514]

Enjoy as always ur quirky Ulster Perspective

[@nakedireland]

Quirky or not, it’s the only perspective I’ve got! 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@homolgus1]

Born in cliffoney very good guide

[@nakedireland]

Thank you so much.

[@mattpotter8725]

You'll get luck o' the Irish for 7 years or so!!! Great way to get people to subscribe!!!

[@nakedireland]

We’ll see if it works Matt!!

[@desmcharris]

If anyone is interested, theres a lecture by Transna na Tire on Sligo Abbey and the 1832 Cholera Pandemic. Lecture 69. Its on KZbin. Well worth a wee listen.👍

[@nakedireland]

I’ll check that out.

[@josephfinnegan151]

24 th Largest Town or City in Ireland Republic. Sligo Town.

[@nakedireland]

Yep, 24th.

[@erikapadilla8669]

Shane Filan Town ❤

[@nakedireland]

You’re a fan Erika?

[@erikapadilla8669]

Yes! A big one! I traveled from Mexico to Dublin on June 2012 just to see Westlife in the last show , and recently I saw them at Guadalajara Mexico, I would love to visit Sligo ❤

[@nakedireland]

⁠My wife and 2 daughters went to see them in Belfast in the late 90s. Thanks for watching the video, I hope you’ll check out some more.

[@Belfast-Biccy]

You mention Ireland's diversity in a lot of your videos, and that should be a positive thing, but there is dark clouds gathering over that lately if you have been keeping up with latest protests. Not to take away from your enjoyable videos, but something to think about going forward on both sides of the border.

[@nakedireland]

Yes, I mention it because it’s topical, and because it’s impossible to walk through an Irish town filming and not notice the changing demographic. So I simply reflect it. I have no nostalgia for the old Irish monoculture, and I see diversity, as you say, as a positive thing.

[@ike637]

The title is a little deceptive, i was expecting ladies without clothes.

[@nakedireland]

Maybe I should try that? Would you keep watching?

[@mamiyapress]

Please do not refer to it as " The Famine " call it what it actually was.

[@nakedireland]

Ok, the Famine it is then, I think it was definitely a famine.

[@renatewest6366]

The Great Hunger.

[@nakedireland]

⁠Sounds pedantic. What’s the difference when people are starving to death?

[@onnnbbb]

4:47 nothing against the restraunt lovely food But if you ask any local about our new "diversity" you'll definitely get all the answers you need Obviously dont ask the rainbow hair and doc martens brigade

[@nakedireland]

Some welcome diversity, some don't. That's the way of the world it seems.

[@nakedireland]

😂