3 stops and a cup of tea - Rural Rovers Guide to Sligo town

Sligo town, a large regional town along the Atlantic seaboard on the west coat of Ireland, is on the route of one of Ireland's latest tourism initiatives - the Wild Atlantic Way. Sligo town and environs are synonymous with the folklore and ancient remnants located around the birthplace and stomping ground of one of Ireland’s best known poets, William Butler Yeats. This blog entry hopefully encourages some of you to travel this brief walking guide and experience the beautiful and interesting sites/ sights which are all a comfortable walk from each other. Each stop is at a different site from a different from the prehistory and historic periods and shows the continuity of place in the urban form.

Starting point beside the Riverbank development along the Promenade (Eastings 569569 Northings 835937)

Anyone doing an internet search for images of county Sligo, will see plenty of amazing photographs of the prehistoric tombs, where the ancient peoples of the regions, over 4,500 years ago buried their dead. These tombs which were the resting places of the previous generations were set in cemeteries and consisted of passages set within large earthen and stone mounds,

But you don’t have to go climb a mountain to see one of these passage tombs, not in Sligo, you merely have to walk along Crozon Promenade to Garvoge Villas (housing estate) and believe your eyes, when you see the remnants of the passage tomb within the roundabout at the summit of the hillock. 

Passage tomb from south west (view as you approach from the Promenade)

The tomb's cairn (stone mound) is denuded but the kerb stones remain. The tomb located on the hill close to the Carravogue River would have been set within open space with occasional forest, but today it’s surrounded by houses and cars encircle the tomb on their onward journeys. Throughout history, we speak of the Christianized monuments, and the statues with central crucifix is an interesting point in hand, where the site was chosen for religious symbols at some stage since the 1940's.

Passage tomb from the south west (note the near life size statues)

Returning back onto the Crozon Promenade, enjoy the beautiful view ahead of the famous Lough Gill. The Lough which widens to the west contains a series of island, notably Fairy Island, Church Island (which was part of a pilgrimage for pregnant women) and Innisfree  - made famous by the words of Yeats' poem 'Isle of Innisfre' named after the island and based upon his memories of visiting the islands with local fishermen.

Walk west back to the Riverside (i.e. starting point) on the bank of the river and walk across the pedestrian bridge. Walk up the walkway along the side of the Church of Ireland church to The Mall and continue across the road and walk to the summit of the hill, along the side of the hospital grounds along Connaughton Road (the modern orthopedic hospital at Sligo Regional Hospital). At the point that the road turns (you’ll see a surface park across the road for the Model Gallery). Follow the trodden grass trail up the steep bank and you’re standing on the breath taking star shaped fort at Forthill, know as Green Fort.

The fort was constructed in c.A.D. 1660’s-’80’s (1646) as a means of protecting the important port and town from incoming seafaring threats and was the only formidable fortification for the town of Sligo during the Jacobite Wars between the armies of William of Orange and James II.

Forthill (Green Fort) from the north

Detail of earthen raised embankment with deep fosse (one projecting terminal)

Stand on the summit of the fort and just look at the view, sea and mountains. Discernible to the north, surrounded in trees is the location of the nineteenth workhouse and cemetery using during the Great Famine and the nineteenth century 'lunatic hospital', which was converted to a luxury hotel within the last twenty years. To the south west is the breathtaking view of Queen Maedbh’s cairn (another dominant passage tomb at Knocknarea) and immediately to the east is the modern hospital buildings, which stand within the grounds of the early nineteenth century fever hospital and the ‘cholera field’ where deep trenches of mass graves were dug for the interring of the unfortunate victims of the cholera in the Sligo/Leitrim area.

Maedbh's cairn (passage tomb) on Knocknarea from the south east

The modern buildings along Connaghton Road have been subject to many archaeological excavations and site investigations revealed a substantial earthen bank and external fosse (ditch) joined the fort to protect the inhabitants from the Jacobite Wars .

From here walk into the town centre, walking along Connaughton Road until you meet Holborn Street. Along this street you’ll find the house with a Spike Milligan connection (The famous Irish comedian). Both his father and grandfather lived in the house as indicated by the stone plaque on the facade.

The Milligan house on Holborn Street

Turn right on St. Stephen Street, you’ll now pass the elegant bronze statue of William Butler Yeats outside the current Bank of Ireland. Continue along along Stephen St over the Hyde Bridge and you’ll see the attractive red brick house on your left, which was the former AIB bank building at the corner of the promonade, which now serves as the Yeats Society house. The house was donated to the Yeats Society n 1973 and the Society itself was formed in 1958. Drop into the Society house, for either a look at the developing displays about Yeats (c. €2 per person) or go left into the coffee shop (Lily’s & Lolly’s Cafe) for a cup of tea and a cake.

Statue of William Butler Yeats

Then left out the front door going along the street till the traffic lights, turn left up O’Connell St. (a popular pub on this street is Hargadons - so if it’s something stronger that tea, this should more than meet your requirements: also great food). Turn left onto Grattan St. travel along the street and take a look at the ‘Lady Erin’ monument (on Market St.). The monument was erected in 1898 to mark the centenary celebrations for the Sligo people who lost their lives in the Insurrection of 1798. The significance of the location of the monument itself is quite topical as it marks the recently defunct boundaries of local government, between Sligo County Council (rural) and Sligo Borough Council (urban).

Continue along Grattan Street, till close to the end of the street, you’ll see Sligo Abbey on the right hand of the road. The Abbey is a National Monument and is run by the Office of Public Works (guide tours available - fee incurred - €3 adult, €1 child, €8 for family). You can see the lovely Gothic and Renaissance tomb sculpture through the railing over the wall. Sligo Abbey was a Dominican Friary built in A.D 1253 century by Maurice Fitzgerald, Barony of Offaly. The cloister survives (the square walkway off the church where the monks would walk and pray). The Abbey was destroyed by fire in A.D 1414 and ravaged during the Nine Years War in A.D 1595 and again in A.D 1641. the Abbey contains the only surviving sculptured fifteenth century high altar in any Irish monastic church.

Sligo Abbey, Abbey Street

Then at the end of the road turning left and this road (Abbey Street Lower) will bring you back to the starting point at the promenade.

Hungry, hunt down two great spots in the town: The Swagman (easy parking in Tesco car park, great and wide ranging menu) and Eala Bhán (great food, good offers - a proper sit down meal). There are plenty of other good places to eat, these are some of the more popular.

If any of you follow this brief Rural Rovers Guide to Sligo town I'd love to know what you think and if you want to travel further out and hear about Lough Gill, just let me know.

Tweets, Trials and Trophies

I must admit to being a speed reader tweeter of the last few weeks. I jumped on the tweet mill a short time ago to see whether it was a social media that suited me. There appear to be two schools of thought about tweeting, you either hang around there all day, or you plan you tweets in advance with software that farms them at intervals for you.

As I like the option of dropping in once or twice a day and speed reading the tweets, I was compelled to open a link to a tweet about a cow in Ireland, that is set to enter the Guinness Book of Records, as the smallest cow in the world. Ella, is a 31inch cow that can fit under the kitchen table in the County Sligo home of her owner, Mr. Henry Judge. Click to read article

A few days later I came across a tweet about a judgement handed down by Judge Patrick Durcan in Ennis District Court to a Co. Clare farmers charged with cruelty to his animals. I have often been asked what happens in cases where farmers are charged with cruelty to animals. I've always been told that in such cases, and they are rare, that the farmer could loose his animals and face hefty financial penalties and/ or a prison sentence. In this case, the farmer received a 10 month suspended sentence. He was previously ordered to dispose of his herd. The Department of Agriculture Inspector provided evidence that the animals had a lack of water, feed and shelter during the harshest of winters. The judge that his 73 cattle be taken from him. Click to read article

It is rare that you see cases of farmers treating their animals cruelly in Ireland. The fact that the farmer lived near Kilrush, Co. Clare struck a chord, as I had memories of my grandfathers medal which he was  presented with in 1915 for his actions taken to protect a donkey being mistreated by a farmer, when he was member of the Royal Irish Constabulary... and yes, you guess it, he was stationed in Kilrush, Co. Clare.

I hasten to add, that the reason this tweet stuck out in my mind, was due to the fact that it's a very rare occasion that such cases ever come before the courts. And if any of you want to wander down in the beautiful limestone regions of Co. Clare make sure to drop us a line and take some photos of the beautiful healthy cattle.... but you'll have to head to Sligo to see the world's smallest cow.

Holy tree and a cure for warts

It's been an amazingly mild Autumn this year. I tried to visit a tree in County Laois, Ireland during the summer of 2012, only to find that due to the volume of rain, it was a walk in waders as opposed to wellies to visit the site that the locals had often mentioned to me. However the Autumn of 2013 proved successful to see this holy tree with attested abilities to relieve the presence of warts.

You won't find this tree marked on Ordnance Survey maps, though I suspect that there would be a reference to it in the National Schools Folklore Collection carried out in the 1930's (only a hunch... perhaps one day I'll get to follow up that line of enquiry)

The tree is an ash tree located at a modern gated entrance to an agricultural field in Ballygillaheen townland. The townland name, although uncertain, is probably a reference to the baile (i.e. settlement/ hamlet) of Giolla Chaoin (Gillachaein's town). Mac Giolla Chaoine translates as the Servant of St. Caoine and is relating to the modern surname of Coyne or Kilcoyne.

I know little about a St. Caoine... I'd be glad to hear any information from anyone who reads this entry.

The ash tree has two main branches rising from the main trunk. The trunk itself is rotten and badly damaged at the base. At the junction of the two main branches is a small area that retains water. It is said locally that if you immerse you hands in the water you will be cured of warts on your hands. I have also heard through local knowledge that the water has been given to sick animals (but with unknown results).

There is a small religious picture of Mary pinned to the tree trunk and a plethora of coins lodged into the bark of the tree. The coins are firmly fixed in the bark, as it a car key from a Nissan, which has been bent sideways. I've often visited 'rag trees' in Ireland associated with holy wells, and regularly visited holy wells where people have places coins either in the water of the holy well or in a case on the Inisheer, Aran Islands, placed the coins in a bullaun stone beside the well, but I've rarely come across coins lodged into the bark of tree which has curative associations to water lodged within the tree.

If anyone reading this can shed some light on a St. Caoine or indeed others trees with curing/ holy trees associated with coins lodged in the bark, I'd love to hear from you. And if you are ever wandering through County Laois let me know and I can give directions to this beautiful spot. But remember your wellies !