Sligo Walk Tours

25/08/2024

Thanks to all who turned out for the Sligo Tidy Towns Port and River tour this morning. The event was held for Water heritage day. We got lucky with the weather and got a dry spell.

23/08/2024

For Heritage week, join myself and Sligo Tidy Towns for the Sligo Port and River walking tour on this Sunday 25th August at 11am.

Meeting point: Lower Quay Street car park

25/07/2024

Visitors from Ireland, the UK and the States enjoying a tour of Sligo.

‘I come from the Lynchs of Sligo. You know, I went there, but I looked in the phone book and there are nine million Lynches in Sligo.’

Jack Nicholson

13/07/2024

Warrior, Queen Maeve light procession for Cairde festival in Sligo town.

12/07/2024

Sligo Post Office photographed in the 1930s

09/07/2024

A few images from the Colour of Sligo exhibition on display at the Canopy shopping centre (Johnstons Court)
A collaboration by Rob Cross Bringing Ireland's History To Life and Fiona Gallagher.

07/07/2024

Sunday in Sligo

At the Peace Park for Cairde in the Park

26/06/2024

Looking forward to viewing this colourised Sligo Photograph exhibition by Rob Cross, Fiona Gallagher and Sligo Library.

I am delighted to announce my new photo exhibition, "The Colour Of Sligo". It will take place on July 1st at The Canopy, formerly known as the Johnston Court Shopping Centre, O'Connell Street, Sligo.

The photo exhibition is a collaborative effort between Sligo Library, Fióna Gallagher author of Streets of Sligo and myself, author of The Colour of Ireland books.

This exhibition celebrates the rich history of Sligo and its surroundings over the past 150 years. On display is a rare collection of black and white photographs, some dating back over 100 years that have been brought to life using modern colouring and photo restoration techniques.

Each photograph tells a unique story, capturing the essence of Sligo's past and presenting it with a new vibrancy. As you explore the exhibition, you'll journey back to the streets of 19th-century Sligo, witnessing the daily lives of its people, the architecture of the time, and the landscapes that have shaped the identity of this region.

Photographs reproduced in the exhibition courtesy of the National Library of Ireland and Sligo County Library.

The Canopy Sligo National Library of Ireland Sligo Heritage and History Club Sligo Walk Tours Sligo County Council Sligo Page

23/06/2024

Mullaghmore this morning 🌊🍦

19/06/2024

Dracula themed street art by Fritz on Queen Maeve Square in Sligo town.

13/06/2024

🌟 Celebrating Yeats Day! 🌟

On this special day, we honour the legacy of the great poet William Butler Yeats, born on June 13th 1865. 📜✨ But did you know about the enchanting love story of his parents in Sligo?

In 1862, John Butler Yeats visited Sligo to see his school friend George Pollexfen, whom he met while attending boarding school on the Isle of Wight. During his stay, he met George's sister, Susan Mary. Their connection was instant, and shortly after meeting, John proposed during a day trip to the Fairy Bridges in Bundoran! 💍❤️ They married a year later on September 10th, 1863, at St John's Church in Sligo.

The celebration of their union was a grand affair, befitting the stature of Susan's father, William Pollexfen, a prominent shipowner and Trade Board member. Ships in the port were decorated with bunting, gun salutes echoed throughout the day, and the night was lit with the glow of tar barrels carried by joyous crowds. 🎉🚢🎇 The shipping firm staff enjoyed a night of entertainment with complimentary kegs of Ale, to mark the joyous occasion.

As we celebrate Yeats Day, let's also remember the love story that set the stage for one of Ireland's greatest poets. 🇮🇪📚💖

12/06/2024

Folks exploring Sligo on recent walking tours, a nice mix of locals and visitors from the UK, San Francisco, Colorado and Florida.

10/06/2024

24/05/2024

Folks from the US on a tour of Sligo.
They all had Irish ancestry and it’s fascinating to hear their relatives emigration stories.
One groups family came from beside Moygara castle in Sligo and they enjoyed a visit to the castle and found a distance relation who invited them into their house and shared the family history. While another couple were in Ireland tracing their Donegal roots and had a fascinating but tragic emigration story involving a grandfather who worked in the Pennsylvania mines, a grand uncle who died in the mines and then his grandfather decided the mines weren’t safe and left that job and went working in the New York police before he was shot while on duty in 1940s.

16/05/2024

Beautiful evening light tonight on the Riverside

10/05/2024

Northern lights from Sligo town
Can you see them where you are??

10/05/2024

Sligo Walking Tours welcomed visitors from Texas, Utah and Boston to Sligo

07/05/2024

I was joined on tour by a delightful group of Belgian 🇧🇪 golfers from Knokke in Flanders. They presented me with a gift of Belgian chocolates. They were visiting to try out several of our golf courses.

05/05/2024

Enjoying the Ceílí music at the new Queen Maeve Square and met Atlantic Sheepdogs and his family and a walking tour as part of the Queen Maeve festival

04/05/2024

Queen Maeve Festival in Sligo town

03/05/2024

If you’re visiting Sligo this weekend you will be spoilt for choice as the new Queen Maeve square in Sligo town is officially opened this weekend, to mark the occasion, the Queen Maeve festival is taking place, with lots of different events. Swipe to see some of the historical photographs and events happening this weekend. There is a built heritage walking tour with Seán Martin on Sunday organised as part of the festival.

The new Queen Maeve Square situated on the banks of the Garavogue river in the former Stephen Street Car park, off Stephen Street. Historically, this area was the back gardens of the houses on Stephen Street including the Bank of Ireland building and the Constitutional club/hotel on Stephen Street.

The 19th century black and white photographs show the area with long gardens with trees extending down to a stone wall bordering the river. The photographs depict the view looking across the Garavogue river from Rockwood parade which back then was just a muddy river bank. In the 19th Century, the building next to the bridge was known as the Bridge House or the Green House, it was owned by the Andersons brewery then later Foleys Brewery. Then in the 20th century it was a hotel. Today, there is a walkway called Norbert Ferguson Parade and the blue block building is in its place. You can also see a building with a porthole and weather vane. This building still exists today and is part of the Bank of Ireland complex.

Image source - National Library of Ireland

01/05/2024

Sligo town looking pretty.

Strolls with a fun family from New Jersey and Texas with Irish ancestry ☘️. Their grandfather left a townland on the Sligo/Mayo border in 1923

26/04/2024

Sligo at dusk

24/04/2024

Late Spring evenings in Sligo 👌☘️

21/04/2024

Beautiful day in Sligo

20/04/2024

A few photos from recent walking tours. Lots of visitors from the States 🇺🇸 with Sligo ancestry ☘️

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

Quote by John B. Keane

16/04/2024

Dating to the neolithic period over 3000 BC, the Deerpark Court Tomb in Sligo.
It was a burial site and place for rituals.

The Wynnes of Hazelwood held the land in the 1700s and 1800s and built a stone wall for a deer enclosure for hunting.

Today, it is a forest walk with the court tomb and views of Knocknarea and the lake.

15/04/2024

On the 112th anniversary of the Titanic sinking, here is one of Sligo’s connections with the disaster.

Margaret Devaney was nineteen years old when she decided to emigrate to America. Some of her siblings had already made the journey and had sent money to pay for her ticket. Before she left her 12-year-old brother, John, thoughtfully gifted her a pen knife he had received as a Christmas present. He had it re-sharpened in the store where it was bought Barton Smiths in Sligo town so it was as good as new. He told her he thought she could use it to peel an apple on board the ship.

Her father brought her by pony and cart to the local train station in Ballisodare, there along with friends Kate Hargadon and Mary Delia Burns she boarded a train that brought her to Cork and onto Queenstown. Margaret had a ticket to America on board the Titanic. They were put on a tender and brought out to the Titanic, which set sail on the 12th of April 1912.

Two days later, Margaret was awoken from her sleep by a friend knocking on her cabin door, there was trouble on the ship and she should go up on deck. She quickly dressed and threw on her coat. The three friends, Margaret, Kate and Mary made their way through the corridors and up through the decks, finding many of the gates locked. In the chaos, the friends became separated, with Margaret reaching the top deck alone. Sadly, she never saw her friends again. Margaret was pushed forward by the crowds and put in a lifeboat.

As the lifeboat was lowered, one of the ropes became entangled, and the boat was at risk of turning over. The ship steward called on the passengers if they had anything sharp to cut the rope. Margaret remembered her penknife, luckily she had it in her coat pocket. She gave them the penknife and they were able to cut the rope free. The lifeboat was lowered down onto the water, rowing away before the Titanic went under. Several hours later, Margaret was put on the rescue ship Carpathia one of the sailors gave her a gift of the lifeboat emblem in gratitude for helping save the lives of the 32 lifeboat passengers.

Margaret stayed in America and married John O'Neill in 1919, settling in New Jersey where they had six children. She gave interviews about her experience and returned home to Sligo in the 1950s on holiday. She passed away in 1974 and is buried in New York. Her family cherish her ship ticket, emblem and penknife which was on display at Ellis Island museum for several years.

Barton Smiths in Sligo is a sporting goods, fishing shop and locksmith shop established in 1788 and still in business today. The original Barton Smith was a Cutler, making cutlery, razors and swords. In their Locksmith shop, they have a mini museum which includes a replica of Margaret's penknife.

01/04/2024

While exploring Kilboglashy graveyard we came upon the grave of Martin Savage, a Sligonian who was an Irish Volunteer during the Easter Rising and a Military Officer who was killed at the Ashtown Ambush during the War of Independence in December 1919.

His coffin was brought to Sligo on the train where it was met at Collooney railway station by a large crowd. His coffin, draped in an Irish Tricolour, was carried over two miles to the graveyard. He was buried with military honours in his native Ballisodare.

Dan Breen noted in his autobiography that “the cortege was several miles long, the Parish Priest attended and recited the last prayer, while the Royal Irish Constabulary, armed with g*ns, surrounded the graveyard. “However, I suppose, this was the best tribute they could have paid to a gallant soldier, even though they did not mean it that way”.

In 2019 there was a series of events including a funeral re-enactment to mark the centenary anniversary of his death. His image also appears on my Sligo library card since the 2016 Rising commemoration events.

31/03/2024

Exploring around Sligo following the brown road signs on Good Friday, came upon St Fechin’s Church and Kilboglashy graveyard in Ballysadare.

Can you see the head carvings on this Romanesque doorway. It originally had 11 face carvings on the arch, and two faces either side of the door along with animal carvings. Swiped to see how it originally looked in 1879 when the artist and antiquarian William F. Wakeman illustrated it.