Sligo Abbey


This handsome Dominican friary was built around 1252 but burned down in the 15th century, to be later rebuilt. Friends in high places saved the abbey from the worst ravages of the Elizabethan era, and rescued the sole sculpted altar to survive the Reformation. The doorways reach only a few feet high at the abbey's rear; the ground around it was swollen by the mass graves from years of famine and war.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Sligo County Museum

0.16 MILES

The major draw of Sligo's small county museum is the Yeats room, which features photographs, letters and newspaper cuttings connected with WB Yeats. Also…

2. Model

0.17 MILES

The Model houses an impressive collection of contemporary Irish art including works by Jack B Yeats (WB's brother and one of Ireland's most important…

3. WB Yeats Statue

0.18 MILES

Erected in 1989, this abstract statue of Yeats – with broken glasses – in front of the 1863 Ulster Bank (a building he admired) is the source of much…

4. Hyde Bridge

0.19 MILES

This central stone bridge spanning the River Garavogue was built in 1845. It was originally named after Queen Victoria, then re-named after the first…

5. Yeats Memorial Building

0.2 MILES

In a pretty setting in a former 1895 bank, the WB Yeats Exhibition has details of his life, draft manuscripts and special summer programs. Admission…

6. Michael Quirke's Studio

0.23 MILES

Don’t miss a chat with woodcarver, raconteur and local legend Michael Quirke as he hand-carves his wooden creations. Opening times can vary, so take a…

7. Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery

2.44 MILES

One of the largest Stone Age cemeteries in Europe, Carrowmore is finally receiving the renown it deserves and is Sligo's must-see attraction. Some 30…

8. Dooney Rock

2.82 MILES

Immortalised by Yeats in 'The Fiddler of Dooney' (1899), this fissured limestone knoll bulges awkwardly upward by the lough's southern shore. There's a…