18th century contract killers
From the archives of 1728 comes the dark tale of Captain Parks of Sligo, who is described as a Gentleman of considerable Estate in the
Melancholy Shipwreck
The Tory vessel on its return to Sligo from Liverpool in January 1856, struck rocks and sank with the loss of five lives. The owners
John Walsh and Edenhill House in Sligo
Charles Bianconi revolutionised public transport in Ireland with the use of horses and carriages. He established a network of routes, which covered most of the
Jack Butler Yeats
The artist Jack Butler Yeats was born in London in 1871. Yeats was the youngest child of the painter John Yeats and brother of the
Whiskey in the jar – A brief history of the original Sligo Distillery
Hazelwood House, an eighteenth-century Palladian house situated a few kilometres outside Sligo town, overlooks the shores of Lough Gill. The house was designed by the
The night a world-famous Irish tenor performed at the Gaiety Sligo
On the 15th January 1936, the world-famous Irish tenor Count John McCormack visited Sligo. McCormack was born in Athlone, Westmeath in 1884. His parents Hannah
Mystery disappearance of RAF Officers
A few years ago when I was researching a local history article, I came across this headline in the newspaper archives which caught my eye. Mystery
Old warehouse building in Sligo – Industrial heritage
Sligo’s Port was once a bustling and thriving place with ships taking passengers and cargo to England, America and Canada. Warehouses were built close to
Charles Kerrigan and the Connaught Rangers Mutiny in India 1920
A piece I wrote for a genealogy history assignment a few years ago about my great grandfather and the Connaught Rangers Mutiny which occurred on
Sligo Emoji Quiz Round 2
Ready for round 2? I’ve created another Sligo emoji quiz How many can you get? As before, some of these places are now part of
Local Sligo Places Emoji Quiz
I made a local Sligo places quiz using only basic emojis with some suggestions from my family when we played it. How many can you
Landed in Van Diemen’s Land
Van Diemen’s Land was set up as a penal colony in 1803 by the British Empire. It is estimated that some 75,000 convicts were shipped
Trouble at the Fish Market in Sligo
In the nineteenth-century, police constables were discouraged from interacting or becoming too friendly with their fellow citizens; least they might be unduly influenced, a professional
Merchants of Sligo – Higgins & Keighron
Higgins & Keighron flagon – Source – B. Higgins Irish Antique Bottle Collectors Club Facebook group A whiskey flagon from Higgins & Keighron Ltd, Wholesale
Irish Harvesters
In nineteenth-century, it was the practice of many poor tenant labourers to go to England and Scotland each year for the purpose of harvest work.
Christmas in Sligo Gaol
In 1919, Bridget O’Mullane, an official Organiser in Cumann na mBan was convicted and sentenced to two months’ hard labour for giving a speech encouraging
Cabbages – A Halloween custom
One Halloween night in 1879, several young boys sat huddled together in a field.They had lit a small fire to keep themselves warm from the
Hill of bodies
In April 1964, two young men from Cork were working on the building of a new church in the seaside resort of Enniscrone, Sligo. On
Ballysadare to Strandhill in 1947
Dun Maeve Hotel and Ballysadare bridge 1959 – Douglas Campbell An excerpt from a travel book from 1947, where the traveller writer has reached Ballysadare
Valentine Blake Dillon
Valentine Blake Dillon (1845 – 1904) was an Irish solicitor and politician. Dillon worked as a Land League solicitor and defended Charles Stuart Parnell. In
When the Sequah came to Sligo
An advert for Sequah Remedies, the cure all. Source: The Graphic 11 July 1891 In 1891, a quack doctor arrived in Sligo with much fanfare.
Cholera and the Cure
The cholera epidemic remembered one hundred years after the event, as written by a schoolboy James Reynolds from Knockminna National School near Ballymote in Sligo
Charlotte Thornley Stoker
As it’s International Women’s day, here is a short account of one Sligo lady who was considered ahead of her time for highlighting social issues
Lady Anne Trail
The Lady Anne Walk that originally connected Hazelwood House with Ardaghowen has received funding for the trail to be extended and renovated. The historic nature
Cockran’s Mall Sligo in the 19th Century
Art murals by the talented late Sligo artist Bernard McDonagh on the walls of the back bar in the Embassy/The Belfry on Kennedy Parade, Sligo.
Sligo and the Dracula connection
The author Bram Stoker’s mother hailed from Sligo. Her name was Charlotte Thornley and she lived with her parents Captain Thomas Thornley, Matilda Blake Thornley
Cholera Remedy in 1832
In the Summer of 1832, 186 years ago, an outbreak of Cholera was spreading throughout Ireland. Cures and remedy advertisements appeared in newspapers. The text
Sligo Dark Tales – The perils of travelling alone in the 18th-Century
Shepherd-boy by Thomas Barker (1769-1847) From the newspaper archives comes the late eighteenth-century story of two young boys herding cattle on Doomore mountain near Coolaney, County
Catch the Dark Tales Tour
Don’t miss the Sligo Dark Tales Tour and learn all about Sligo’s connection to Bram Stoker and the novel Dracula.