Sligo Town accomodation advice needed
 

We are planning for our first trip to Ireland in July and have enjoyed reading everyones advice on this site. My husband, 15 year old son and I think we'd like to stay in Sligo Town for 6 days. We plan to use it as our base for day trips in all directions. We will have a car but don't want to use it in town each time we run out.

I'd appreciate anyone's recomendations of places to stay. We'd like something in town so we can be at the center of things while there. Many of the places we have read about say "5 min from town" or "5 minute walk" but since we don't know what the town area actually is we are hesitent to pick one of them without more knowledge.

I'd prefer a B&B en suite for about 30 pp but expect to have to compromise. If anyone has knowledge of this area and suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.

C & J & D

I stayed at a B and B called Tree Tops.
I don't recommend it. Room was tiny.
Breakfast not what I expected - mostly foods high in cholesterol and fat.

You may keep yourself amused for 6 days around Sligo, but I am not sure how.

Beware of the dreaded "5-minute walk to the town center" unless you know how those people walk. In Belmullet (County Mayo) last Spring, my B&B had advertised a 5-minute brisk walk to the center of town. It was fully 750 meters and when I returned from lunch there was a gale force wind blowing in my face.

I met several Sligo people in Ballina (County Mayo) last Spring. It's where they go to have fun. I would recommend a B&B called BrigOwn, on the banks of the Moy River (famous for Salmon fishing) in Ballina. It's a few doors from Crockett's on the Quay (Guesthouse, Restaurant, Bar, etc.).Marjorie, the owner, is author of several books on Irish cooking. She has a double, a twin and a single.

Sorry, that's Crocket's (just one 't') and http://www.crocketsonthequay.ie is their website. There are numerous shops in town, near St. Muredachs cathedral where your husband (or son) can get outfitted for Salmon fishing: it's quite expensive.

Ballina is about a 35-45 minute drive from Knock Shrine if that's one of the places you are considering for a daytrip. And it's less than that from Sligo town.

Another reason you may want to reconsider: In Sep '02 I read in the Irish press about some racial strife in Sligo town.

There's a lovely B&B in Sligo town called St Judes. Guests have their own living room and they have an outdoor pool! Only problem is, they really are about 10 minutes from the town centre. I do mean 10 not 20 minutes!
If you'd prefer a hotel, The Tower Hotel is situated right in the centre of town and is usually quite reasonable.

There's a lovely B&B in Sligo town called St Judes. Guests have their own living room and they have an outdoor pool! Only problem is, they really are about 10 minutes from the town centre. I do mean 10 not 20 minutes!
If you'd prefer a hotel, The Tower Hotel is situated right in the centre of town and is usually quite reasonable. As for racial strife in Sligo - I can assure you I've never seen anthing like that and I lived there for 5 years and have family still living there.

Thank you for the suggestions and your time, but now I'd like opinions of whether Sligo is the best center for us. We are mostly interested in just seeing the country and Mayo, Sligo, Donegal sound like they have plenty of beauty to keep us busy - no need for shopping or specific sights. We'd also like to avoid as much of the summer crowds as possible. I might add that on our trip we will also be in Dublin for a few days and London for 10, so I'm hoping to relax for the 6 days we have in Northwest Ireland.

So (after all that rambling), my question is:
We will be able to get far traveling back to Sligo each day, i.e. north up the coast then back one day, west along the coast and back another day? It looks like it on the map but I know the roads are slow.