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Sligo
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Sligo ( "sly-go", Irish ), is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is the second largest urban area in Connacht (after Galway). It is home to the Sligo Institute of Technology and St. Angela's College.
History
Sligo's Irish name "Sligeach" - meaning shelly place - originates in the abundance of shellfish found in the river and its estuary, and from the extensive 'shell middens' or Stone Age food preparation areas in the vicinity.
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Encyclopedia
Sligo ( "sly-go", Irish ), is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is the second largest urban area in Connacht (after Galway). It is home to the Sligo Institute of Technology and St. Angela's College.
History
Sligo's Irish name "Sligeach" - meaning shelly place - originates in the abundance of shellfish found in the river and its estuary, and from the extensive 'shell middens' or Stone Age food preparation areas in the vicinity. The river (now known as the Garavogue) was originally also called the Sligeach. The Ordnance Survey letters of 1836 state that "cart loads of shells were found underground in many places within the town where houses now stand". At that time shells were constantly being dug up during the construction of foundations for buildings. This whole area, from the river estuary at Sligo, around the coast to the river at Ballysadare Bay, was rich in marine resources which were utilised as far back as the Mesolithic period.
The significance of Sligo in the Early Neolithic period is demonstrated by the abundance of ancient sites close by, not least Carrowmore, on the Cuil Irra peninsula, 3k from the town. The NRA excavation for the N4 Sligo Inner Relief Road in 2002 revealed an early Neolithic causewayed enclosure (c. 4000 B.C.) overlooking the site of Sligo town today. It would have been enclosed by a ditch and palisade, and was perhaps an area of commerce and ritual. According to Edward Danagher, who excavated there, 'Magheraboy demonstrates the early Neolithic settlement of this area of Sligo, while the longevity of the activity on the site indicates a stable and successful population during the final centuries of the fifth millennium and the first centuries of the fourth millennium BC'. Sligo town's first roundabout was constructed around a megalithic tomb (Abbeyquarter North, in Garavogue Villas ).
Maurice Fitzgerald, the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland is generally credited with the establishment of the medieval town of Sligo, building the Castle of Sligo in 1245. Sligo was burned with regularity throughout the medieval period. In 1257, Geoffry O'Donnell, chief of Tirconnell, marched on Sligo and burned the town. The annalists refer to this Sligo as a "sradbhaile"; meaning a village or town not defended by an enclosure or wall, and consisting of one street. By the mid 15th century the town and port had grown in importance. Amongst the earliest preserved specimens of written English in Connaught is a receipt for 20 marks, dated August 1430, paid by Saunder Lynche and Davy Botyller, to Henry Blake and Walter Blake, customers of “ye King and John Rede, controller of ye porte of Galvy and of Slego”. Over a century later an order is sent from the Elizabethan Government to Sir Nicholas Malby, Knight, willing him to establish ‘apt and safe’ places for the keeping of the Assizes & Sessions, with walls of lime & stone, in each county of Connaught, “judging that the aptest place be in Sligo, for the County of Sligo…” Sligo Abbey, the Dominican Friary, is the only medieval building left standing in the town. The abbey was founded by Fitzgerald in 1253 but was accidentally destroyed by fire in 1414, and was rebuilt in its present form. When Frederick Hamilton’s soldiers sacked Sligo Town in 1642, the Abbey was burned and everything valuable in it was destroyed. Much of the structure, including the choir, carved altar and cloisters remain.
Between 1847 and 1851 over 30,000 people emigrated through the port of Sligo. On the Quays, overlooking the Garavogue River, is a memorial sculpture to those people. This is one of a suite of three sculptures commissioned by the Sligo Famine Commemoration Committee to honour the victims of the Great Famine. A plaque in the background, headed 'Letter to America, January 2, 1850' tells one family's sad story: "I am now, I may say, alone in the world. All my brothers and sisters are dead and children but yourself... We are all ejected out of Mr. Enright's ground... The times was so bad and all Ireland in such a state of poverty that no person could pay rent. My only hope now rests with you, as I am without one shilling and as I said before I must either beg or go to the poorhouse... I remain your affectionate father, Owen Larkin. Be sure answer this by return of post."
Sligo town recently highlighted its connections with Goon Show star and writer Spike Milligan by unveiling a plaque at the former Milligan family home at Number 5 Holborn Street.
Education
Sligo city has 9 primary schools and 6 secondary schools. Most Notable are Our Lady Of Mercy Primary and secondary schools, Summerhill College, and Sligo Grammar School.
Transport
The primary arteries of Sligo's road network are: the N4 road to Dublin, the N15 to Lifford, County Donegal; and the N16 to Blacklion, County Cavan. The section of the N4 road between Sligo and Collooney is made up of dual carriageway. The first phase of this road was completed in January 1998, bypassing the towns of Collooney and Ballysadare. An extension to this road was completed in September 2005, known as The Sligo Inner Relief Road. This road consists of a dual carriageway from Carraroe to Summerhill roundabout, where it eventually crosses Hughes Bridge. This bridge was opened on 9 December 1988, minorly bypassing the core streets of Sligo town, via the existing outer orbital streets through which the N4 ran until the completion of the IRR in 2005.
O'Connell Street - the main street in the town - was pedestrianised on 15 August 2006. Plans of the proposed redevelopment and paving of this street were publicly unveiled on 23 July 2008 in that day's edition of The Sligo Champion. The newspaper later revealed that people were not in favour of the pedestrianisation of the street. These plans have now been postponed and there is a chance that the street may be reopened to traffic.
Sligo acquired rail links to Dublin in 1862, with the opening of the Sligo railway station on 3 December of that year. Connections to Enniskillen and the north followed in 1881 and Limerick and the south in 1895. The line to Enniskillen closed in 1957 and passenger services to Galway-Ennis-Limerick closed in 1963. For many years CIE kept the latter line open for freight traffic, and although it is now disused, it forms part of the Western Rail Corridor redevelopment project. In 1966 Sligo railway station was renamed Mac Diarmada Station after Irish rebel Seán Mac Diarmada from County Leitrim. Iarnród Éireann, Ireland's national railway operator, runs inter-city rail services between Sligo and Dublin Connolly.
Sligo Town and County Sligo are served by Sligo Airport, 8 kilometres (5 miles) from Sligo town and close to Strandhill village, served by Aer Arann, which operates flights to Dublin and to Manchester in the United Kingdom.
Sligo port handles relatively small ships up to .
There is also a town bus service provided by Bus Éireann that operates two different routes in the town, one which serves the town centre and one which serves the western area of the town. There are two other routes operating in the town, which operate between the town and Strandhill and Rosses Point respectively .
Development
Like many urban areas in western parts of Ireland, Sligo suffered for many years from a lack of development, mainly due to its relative isolation. However this has improved in most sectors in the past decade.
A lot of new development has occurred along the river Garavogue, most notably the regeneration of J.F.K. Parade (2000), Rockwood Parade (1993-1997), The Riverside (1997-2006) as well two new footbridges over the river itself, one on Rockwood Parade (1996) and one on The Riverside (1999).
Media
There are three local newspapers in Sligo. The Sligo Weekender is published on Tuesday while The Sligo Champion and The Sligo Post are both published on Wednesday.
The locality is serviced by the local radio station, Ocean FM, which also broadcasts to counties Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo.
Twin cities
See also
Gallery
Image:sligo_yeats.jpg|Yeats' statue outside the Ulster Bank
Image:sligo_abbey.jpg|The choir of Sligo Abbey
Image:sligo_famine.jpg|The Sligo Famine Memorial on the Quays
Image:sligo_garavogue.jpg|The Garavogue River in the town centre
Image:Sligo-tower.jpg|Clock tower of the Roman Catholic Cathedral
Image:Sligo-church.jpg|The Roman Catholic Cathedral
Image:Sligo Borough Council.jpg|Sligo Borough Council
Image:SligoCourtHouse.JPG|The Court House
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