Dark Tales Tour
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Sligo's Dark Tales and Haunted Histories

  • Duration: 120 minutes
  • Suitable for: Groups
  • Group: Max 30

Step into the shadows of the past as we guide you through Sligo’s tumultuous history, filled with the whispers of the undead, echoes of executions, and the lingering spectre of disease. Our signature experience, the Sligo Dark Tales Walking Tour, invites you to explore the town’s most intriguing secrets.

  • Explore Sligo on foot with a small-group tour
  • The walking tour encompasses all the main highlights and landmarks in Sligo town
    • Step into the heart of historic Sligo as we unveil chilling tales of crime and punishment, unfolding amidst the very streets and buildings where these ghastly events transpired.
    • Discover tales of clandestine burials, gallows confessions, and daring jailbreaks. Every street bears witness to the darker chapters of Sligo’s past.
    • Lady Erin’s Watchful Gaze:  Beneath the shadows of Lady Liberty lurks the story of an illicit affair gone tragically awry, adding a poignant twist to the town’s macabre history.
    • Stoker’s Legacy:  Journey into Sligo’s connection with Bram Stoker, the visionary behind the Gothic masterpiece, Dracula. Delve into the eerie tales of the cholera epidemic that fuelled Stoker’s imagination, leaving an indelible mark on his literary legacy.
    • Yeatsian Tragedy: Experience the haunting allure of Sligo Abbey, the thirteenth-century monastic ruins that inspired the poetic musings of W.B. Yeats.
    • Riverside Revelations: A Journey Through Sligo’s Liquid Legacy – Sail through time on our tour, tracing the meandering path of the Garavogue River. Discover the heartbeat of Sligo’s maritime heritage, where tales of bustling ports, and breweries unfold with each step.
    • Sligo highlights and main attractions
    • Comprehensive introduction to Sligo &  social history of Ireland
    • Local historian with a Master’s in History
    • Fully insured experienced native guide
    • Umbrellas/ponchos available for inclement weather
    • Food and drinks
    • Pick up/Transportation
    • Gratuities
    • Confirmation will be received at the time of booking
    • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
    • Most travellers can participate
    • Minimum of 4 required for tour to run
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Testimonials

See What Customers Are Saying About Our Tour

Interesting tour of the town!

Melissa has a wealth of information of the area and is an enthusiastic storyteller which enabled us to feel connected to the local area. She was very patient with all of our questions and we enjoyed every minute of this tour. I would highly recommend to anyone.

Gini_N
December 23, 2023
Interesting tour!

A very interesting time listening to stories about the city and its history while seeing the actual locations and buildings. A worthwhile experience.

brianbS3
January 24, 2024

What an interesting time exploring Sligo while hearing stories about the past and how that affected current times throughout Ireland and the UK. Well worth it. The time went by so quickly.

Brian_B
May 22, 2024

Melissa took us on a grand tour of Sligo. She was very knowledgeable and engaging, allowing us to ask many questions. We saw it all in just a few hours.

Joe_Cro
May 2, 2024

Melissa was a fun and knowledgeable guide as we wandered through the streets of Sligo, hearing some great dark tales in the history of this charming town. She took a great interest in my ancestors’ Sligo history and even sent us some pages mentioning our family name!

Daniel_J
January 2, 2024

Highly recommend for anyone, wanting to learn more history about Sligo, I had no idea how much history was here, even some of the battles that went down. And the ties to Dracula. The tour guide was absolutely incredibly knowledgeable, I would also recommend this for anyone who lives in Sligo. As even my bed-and-breakfast host did not know about all of the history, and said she herself wanted to go. I will say that you have to be able to stand on your feet and walk a little bit of distance, so this probably wouldn’t be good for someone elderly and less they were in a wheelchair. But either way, I am more than confident that they could be accommodated in someway.

Keresse
January 4, 2022

There is not enough stars on this app to rate the excellence of this tour. I never experienced such an amazing guided tour of Sligo. Melissa is such a passionate guide and a wonderful human being, she gave me a private tour for almost 3 hours ! And time just flew quickly as all her stories were so deeply fascinating. This tour was the most amazing I had in my whole life, I can’t recommend this enough. Melissa definitely knows how to bring the past back to life ! Just brilliant thank you so much.

Heloise
May 4, 2017

We did this tour last night with our great guide Melissa. She was very friendly and knowledgeable about Sligo and its history. She kept the tour going out a very even pace, so that there were no problems keeping up. She also made it fun by assigning us all a character out of Sligo history, and we got to learn about all of these people, and the events of this amazing town. While the tour does focus on some dark and macabre subjects, it is not too scary for kids, except a little trip through a graveyard. I don’t want to get away too many spoilers, but if you are in Sligo, don’t miss his tour if you are looking for something to do in the evening, especially since many of the businesses close early. But I really was a great time! Thank you, Melissa!

Timothy
May 8, 2013

Brilliant tour highly recommend it Mel was lovely and very knowledgeable. 2 hours went by very quickly time flies when you are having fun lovely guide great tour

534dam
May 12, 2010

Mel was absolutely amazing. It was a dark and stormy night…seriously, it really was. But, she made the walk well worth it. 100% recommended!

alancG
February 9, 2016

Absolutely a great tour! It was a great introduction to the city for my family and I and it was well thought out and delivered by our guide Melissa! I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a introduction to the history of some of Sligos famous authors and offbeat characters!

Wade H.
March 14, 2013

We did the “Sligo Dark Tales” walking tour with Melissa as our tour guide. Learned a lot about the history of Sligo and some very interesting stories Melissa shared with us. I highly recommend taking this tour with Melissa.

Ken K.
October 8, 2014

Walking tours are my favorite way to learn about a new city, and this one was really enjoyable! Melissa is very knowledgeable about Sligo’s past, and told some very engaging stories as we roamed around the town. We felt like a part of history.

Ken H.
November 19, 2010

I took the Sligo Dark Tales Walking Tour my first day in both Ireland and Sligo. My guide Melissa provided an engaging, detailed, and extensive tour. I learned so much about the town, and felt immersed in what it might feel like to live there. Melissa was also very knowledgable and informative on W.B. Yeats, and his family, who I happen to be there to study. The tour provided historical photos as well, helping me to picture the history with out the modern qualities. Over all I highly recommend this tour. It was incredibly fun, and I would absolutely take it again. Thank You Melissa!

Lily E.
February 8, 2013
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