bob_brown

We will be doing a little ancestor hunting in Sligo, Ireland. If you have some words of wisdom about what to see in the area, and/or if you have any comments that will help us while we are there, please tell me what they are.
I have the Fodors guide to Ireland, but hearing from people who have been there is usually invaluable. Invariably people who have been there tell me something the books don't describe.

Laoghaire

Hi Bob...Sligo has so many wonderful sites to visit, husband and I were there two years ago, and are going again in May. My list is:
Yeats Country: Drumcliffe Churchyard (Burial place of William Butler Yeats), Glencar (Glen with waterfall commemorated in Yeat's "The Stolen Child"), Ben Bulben Mountain..
Lough Gillarke Castle, Tobernalt Holy Well,Lake Isle Of Innisfree (another Yeats poem),Dooney Rock nature walk...
Megalithic Monuments: Creevykeel Court Tomb, Carrowmore, Deerpark Court Tomb, Carrowkeel Cairns, Heapstone Cairn...
As you can see, there are enough wonderful places to see, and I"ve only touched the surface. Hope this is of some help. Have a great time in my most favorite place outside of our USA....Helen

bob_brown

Thanks for the input. We might even find a few Murphy cemeteries!!

DavidD

Bob,

A visit to County Sligo will expose you to one of Ireland's most scenic, historically significant, and underexplored (a real plus) regions.

Check out Sligo town. If you happen to be there in May, you'll want to seek-out the annual arts festival. Whatever time you visit, however, be sure to pay a visit to the town's Dominican friary, Sligo's only medieval building. A terrific place for a pint (or two) is Hargadon's. Talk about an original! Hargadon's is full of character and old world ambience. After one visit, you'll have a hard time returning to those pre-packaged and sterile Irish-theme pubs.

There is so very much to see and do in Count Sligo. Indeed, from megalithic tombs to famous literary connections to a visit to the remains of a monastery on deserted Inishmurray Island, there's enough to occupy your time for a rather extended holiday. Rather than go into detail here, make a point of getting hold of a good and detailed travel guide, such the Rough Guide to Ireland, and select sights that "speak" to you. This guide, unlike, say, Frommer's, offers a candid and critical look at sights, along with much historical context. It's especially well done.

As regards lodging, by all means consider the following two top-notch places:

Temple House is owned and run by Sandy and Deb Perceval, and the Perceval family has resided at Temple since the mid-17th century. A Georgian mansion, Temple House is set on a 1,000 acre estate. It's moderately priced and very distinctive. See www.tempoweb.com

Coopershill is a very special accommodation, too. It's set on extensive and highly attractive grounds, and the house itself is quite beautiful. It's a little more pricey than Temple House, but well worth it. See www.coopershill.com

Before I sign off, do make a point of spending some time just over the Sligo border and into County Fermanagh. This is one of the island's true scenic gems, quiet and unerstated, and full of early- and pre-Christian sights, gorgeous loughs, stately homes (Castle Coole) and even underground attractions (Marble Arch Cave). Don't miss it. It's friendly and safe, too.

Best of luck.

jheim

Hello Bob,

You are getting great advice.

Sligo, Donegal and Fermanaugh are THE best part of Ireland by far . . . but we are keeping it a secret . . . shhhhh.

Personally I think the Fermanaugh area is the best base. If you are looking for a super self-catering facility look up Belle Isle. It is perfect.

Ann41

There have been enough ideas for what to see that I will offer one idea of what to avoid: the National Famine Museum. My husband and I made a special trip to see this relatively new museum and were sorely dissapointed. I've done a little reading on the Famine, but nothing excessive, and I discovered nothing new at the museum. The exhibits offered very little information, and nothing in there compelled me to do any further reading. A waste of time.

Speaking of Fermanagh, there's a lovely hotel called the Manor House Hotel. Good food, beautiful location.

bob_brown

We are very sensitive to the famine issue. The Murphys, the Whittles, and the Canavans left Ireland because of the famine. This is our first visit to the land of many of our ancestors, and I am sure we will enjoy it.]

Keenan

I certainly concur with the previous posters and would only add that if you go out to see Yeats' grave not much further is the Lisadoon House(spelling) where his patron resided and he visited often. It is a stately manor which is being maintained in its original state so you see it as it was. The tour is very informative and the parlor has a wonderful view of Ben Bulben. It is a quick visit but worth it

Bree

I have to disagree with Ann41 about the Famine Museum. Maybe it's because I was relatively uninformed about the famine before visiting the museum, but I thought a visit there was a real eye-opener, and one of the highlights of my trip to Ireland.

I second Keenan's recommendation of a visit to Lissadell House. It was the home of the Gore-Booth family, including Eva and Constance, the sisters about whom Yeats wrote "In Memory of Eva Gore-Booth and Con Markiewicz", which begins with these lines:

The light of evening, Lissadell,
Great windows open to the south,
Two girls in silk kimonos, both
Beautiful, one a gazelle.

MaryZ

I'd also disagree with Ann41 regarding the Famine Museum at Strokestown in Roscommon. For the average tourist, I think it provided an excellent overview.

Ardfert

I have always been interested in Yeats since my high school days and so Sligo is a favorite place for me.William Butler Yeats was actually born in Dublin but his mother was from a wealthy family in Sligo and he spent a lot of his youth there.Places I associate with him include Lough Gill-I really enjoyed the boat trip on the lake there which passes near Innisfree.There is somthing magical about Knocknarea and likewise Glencar waterfall.He is buried at Drumcliffe and so many people go to visit his grave that they built a coffee shop beside the church.

wojazz3

I'm not sure Ann was refering to the famine museum in Strokestown. I believe that one has been there for quite a while. She mentioned in a different post that it was in Sligo. This may be the new one that she was refering to.

Bill

wojazz3

although I can't find anything about it.

DavidD

Bob,

Allow me to echo the thoughts of some others regarding the Irish Famine Museum, located in Co. Roscommon, by saying that it's well worth a visit, particularly if you have an interest in 19th century Irish history.

I toured the museum, located in the stableyards of the fascinating Strokestown House, with a fair understanding of the "Great Hunger" and found it informative and thought provoking. Combined with a tour of Strokestown Estate, it makes for a must-see tourist attraction.

Unlike many of the grand Anglo-Irish estates, Strokestown maintains most of its original furnishings, many of which date from the time of the Irish Famine.

A few years back, PBS aired a remarkable documentary titled Long Journey Home. Part of the film was shot on Strokestown Estate, and tells the story of Dennis Mahon who, after evicting tenants from Strokestown during the famine, arranged for their voyage to America on the notorious coffin ships. Mahon was murdered on the grounds of his own estate.

Make a visit to Strokestown a part of your itinerary.

Best of luck.

Ann41

Sorry. It was the museum in Strokestown (Roscommon) that we visisted. I've been laboring under the impression that it was in Sligo all this time--thanks for the correction. It opened in 1994. I was in my mode of thinking of old and new in Irish terms.

I found the other views on this museum very interesting--more so than the museum! But I still find a good book about the Famine to be much more informative, and disturbing.