Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [392]
EATING & DRINKING
Bella Vista Bar & Bistro ( 071-912 2222; Shore Rd; lunch dishes €3.50-12, dinner mains €12-25; food served 10am-10pm; ) The best place to eat in town (amid admittedly limited options) is lively Bella Vista, which prepares a fine rack of Irish lamb, crispy beer-battered cod, and vegetarian dishes including gourmet pizzas, pasta with homemade pesto sauce, and peppers stuffed with aromatic rice.
Venue ( 071-916 8167; Top Rd; mains €13.50-26; food served 12.30-9.15pm) Seafood, fajitas and steaks are part of the decent international menu at this whitewashed pub close to Dunes Tavern. Year-round, you’ll catch live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in its front bar.
Strand Bar ( 071-916 8140; Shore Rd) This old stone pub’s decor is worth studying, with proper snugs and cosy corners. Its variety of food options spans bar food to a Chinese restaurant upstairs. Live music plays at weekends.
Getting There & Away
Rosses Point is 8km northwest of Sligo along the R291, while Strandhill is situated 8km due west of Sligo off the R292 airport road. Bus Éireann ( 071-916 0066) buses run from Sligo to both towns (each €3.50, five to seven Monday to Saturday), but there’s no public transport to other places of interest in the area. It’s possible to walk to Carrowmore and Knocknarea from town, but it’s a long day’s return trek.
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SOUTH OF SLIGO TOWN
Collooney & Riverstown
The endearing Sligo Folk Park ( 071-916 5001; www.sligofolkpark.com; Millview House, Riverstown; adult/child/family €6/4/20; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-6pm Sun mid-Apr–Oct, by appointment Oct-Apr) revolves around a lovingly restored 19th-century cottage. Humble thatched structures complement this centrepiece, along with scattered farm tools and an exhibit that honours the old country life. In December, the park sets up Santa Town, with shows, Santa visits and so on – call for annual opening details.
The three-day James Morrison Traditional Music Festival (www.morrison.ie; Aug) includes fun informal seminars on how to sing sean-nós (‘old-style’ songs) or perform traditional Irish reels on instruments such as the button accordion and the fiddle.
SLEEPING & EATING
Gyreum Eco-lodge ( 071-916 5994; www.gyreum.com; Corlisheen, Riverstown; dm €17-21, d €50-54; ) Horse whisperers are among the volunteers sought by this eco-lodge in exchange for food and lodging, along with less romanticised occupations like plumbing and marketing. Along with a zero-carbon footprint (thanks to wind and geothermal power), the lodge has an organic veggie garden and a Finnish sauna.
Markree Castle ( 071-916 7800; www.markree castle.ie; Collooney; s €130-165, d €195-260; ) Behind a whimsical Gothic facade, Sligo’s oldest inhabited castle has 30 somewhat faded rooms, some named after famous guests, such as number 8 where Johnny Cash stayed (alas, there’s no memorabilia). Its thick walls mean wi-fi is available in the public areas only. The restaurant (open for dinner nightly and lunch on Sunday) is a fine excuse to come out this way, but nonguests should book ahead. Lunch costs €27.50; dinner is €45. Follow the N4 to the roundabout in Collooney, then follow the sign to Castle Dargan; the gate to Markree Castle is about 1km up the road, the driveway another 1km through the grounds.
Coopershill House ( 071-916 5108; www.coopershill.com; Riverstown; s €156-171, d €242-272; Apr-Oct; ) This grey-stone mansion is an idyllic Georgian retreat in an estate alive with wildflowers, birdsong and deer. Most of the eight bedrooms have lovely canopy beds. If you want a small taste of its splendour, the restaurant can accommodate nonguests by prior arrangement. A five-course dinner starts at €59.
Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cemetery
With a God’s-eye view of the county from high in the Bricklieve Mountains, it’s little wonder this hilltop site was sacred in prehistoric times. The windswept location is simultaneously eerie and uplifting, dotted with around 14 cairns, dolmens and the scattered remnants of other graves. It’s possible to squeeze into at