Colourful Sligo Town is the largest town in the north-west and lies at the mouth of the Garavogue River flowing from Lough Gill.

It is encircled by 3 Bays for the maritime part and two mountains for the terrestrial part - the Knocknarea Mountains (645m) on which the tomb of the Queen Maeve is to be found and the imposing Benbulben mountain (526m), at the foot of which Yeats is buried.

It is surrounded by two other mountains Truskmore (645m) to the north and Ox Mountains to the South.

The name Sligo comes from the Gaelic word ‘Sligeach’, meaning ‘place of the seashells’. This area, in fact, was and is still abounded in seashells such as oyster, cockles, mussels and limpets.

The town is built on several gravel ridges giving it an interesting appearance and centres around its five bridges. It was established as a settlement in Viking times.

The only surviving medieval building is the abbey, a Dominican monastery built in the 13th century. In the town centre, there is a commemorative Yeats statue.

Sligo is an important centre for arts, theatres and galleries. It also has an excellent range of restaurants, eateries and shops. The town is located on the Wild Atlantic Way.