For anyone interested in Irish history and heritage, North Sligo has much to offer. Here one can literally trace the dramatic tendrils of our nation, from prehistoric mythology to modern times, in a setting both pristine and majestic. In its lofty mountains, its winding rivers, its jagged coastline, God has created here a land largely unspoiled by time or man.

South Sligo is a glorious patchwork - of pasture land rolling from the Ox to the Bricklieve and Curlew mountains, of lakes and rivers, of townlands and forts, of ruined castles and abbeys; a patchwork peopled with present inhabitants, but also with the figures of those who lived, loved and fought here long ago. And it is full of fable, that dream-like dimension where history and legend intertwine inextricably and forever.

West Sligo, encompassing the ridge of the Ox Mountains and the stretch of lowland coastline running beneath them, is uniquely beautiful country with wild and rugged stretches of shore, fabulous beaches, lonely hill top lakes, renowned rivers, and some of the best blanket peat bog in Europe. Its views can be breathtaking, its scenery inspiring, and its history, as always, recounts man’s struggle with man, God and the elements.

William Butler Yeats called Sligo ‘The Land of Hearts Desire’ and its beauty, archaeology and folklore filled his early poetry. Throughout his youth he returned from London for holidays with his maternal grandparents, the Pollexfens, and his Middelton cousins, from whose homes at Ballysadare, Rosses Point and Sligo Town itself he was free to roam and dream. Today, much of what inspired him remains and a day trip around Yeats’ Country illuminates the poet’s words while you discover just how powerfully those same words celebrate his beloved Sligo.