WGW Sligo County, Ireland

Sligo, a county of Ireland in the province of Connaught. The area is 443,917 ac. or about 694 sq. miles. Pop. in 1951 was 60,513. The coast is very irregular, the principal inlets being Killala bay and Sligo bay. Among the islands are Inishmurray and Coney. In the north are the limstone elevations of Ben Bulbin-1722 ft. and Knocknarea- 1078 ft. Contrasting with adjacent rugged gneiss mountains among which are King's Mountain-1527 and Gullogherboy-1430. In the west are the ranges of the Slieve Gamph and Ox Mountains. The Curlew mountains separate Sligo from Roscommon. The principal rivers are the Moy, the Easky, the Ballysadare, and the Garvogue or Garavogue. The county was created by Sir Henry Sydney in 1579. At Drumcliff, 5 miles north of Sligo are the only round tower remaining in the county and a Celtic cross 13 ft. in height. The principal monastic ruins are the abbey of St. Fechan at Ballysadare with a church of the 11th or 12th century. The abbey of Sligo, and a group of buildings on the island Inishmurray, which include a cashel or walled inclosure, three oratories, two holy wells, and also altars, pillar stones, inscribed slabs, and several examples of beehive cells. Cattle raising is the most remunerative method of farming. Oats and potatoes are the principal crops. Coarse linens and woolens are manufactured. There are tanneries, distilleries and breweries, in the principal towns. The fisheries on the coast are valuable and there are considerable salmon fisheries at the mouths of the rivers. The town of Sligo is the chief center. The Great Southern lines from Limerick and Dublin meet at Collooney Junction which is also used by the Sligo. Leitrim and Northern Counties line. The three routes unite in the section from Collooney to Sligo town.