Protected sectors

How to get in?

The 'Erris Head to Malin Head' coastal description provides approach information to the suggested initial fix. Vessels approaching from the south should select the northeast bound sequenced description; vessels approaching from the north should select the southwest bound sequence; western approaches may use either description.

Sligo is on the northwest coast of Ireland about 40 miles west of Donegal, and is situated at the southeast corner of Sligo Harbour. Sligo is a large city port and is the commercial and administration centre of County Sligo. Sligo Harbour accessed via Sligo Bay is a large open estuary harbour the inner parts of which are well protected by sandy islands. The harbour comprises the whole area between the entrance south of Deadman's Point and the town quays at Sligo.

The town quays offer good shelter and protection at all times where berths are available just below the bridge; contact the Harbour Master but be prepared to lie outside a fishing vessel alongside a high quay. Access to the town quays through the approach channel requires attentive navigation and is best approached by day via the marked channel which is lit by beacons, but a night approach is not recommended.

Vessels may anchor anywhere suitable in Sligo Bay depending upon draught, as the bottom is mostly sand. Anchorages most commonly used are Brown Bay in good weather only, and for small vessels off Deadman's Point, and off Raghly Point. The lower harbour is fairly exposed and yachts should anchor to the north side of Oyster Island when approaching or proceed up the channel to the town quays.

Why visit here?

Sligo, Irish : “Sligeach” meaning the Shelly River, due to the abundance of shellfish in the waters surrounding the town, is a large port and is the chief town in the north west of Ireland. Sligo is built mainly on the south bank of the Garavogue River which connects Lough Gill to the sea. The four mile river estuary forms the port which itself has a deepwater quay which extends for about a mile northwest from Hughes Bridge in the town.

Sligo is situated on a wooded plain in beautiful and interesting surroundings of lakes, trees, glens and encircling mountains. Benbulben mountain to the north, Knocknarea mountain and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Ox mountains to the south, and Lough Gill to the east, make it one of the most picturesque places in all of Ireland. The importance of the town is largely due to its position; at one time there was a ford across the narrowest part of the river guarded by a fortress and all traffic between the north and the south had to ford the river here, and today the main route from the west to Donegal passes through Sligo.

The earliest recorded history of the town of Sligo goes back to 1239 when Lord Justice Maurice Fitzgerald invaded the Connaught possessions of O'Donnell, chief of Tirconnell. Fitzgerald drove back O'Donnell as far as Ballysodare and after O'Donnell's death he advanced to Sligo where he built Sligo Castle erected in 1245. As was usual the town sprang up around the Castle largely due to its strategic location at a river crossing which guarded the coastal passage between Ulster and Connaught. A few years later in 1253 Sligo Abbey was also built by Fitzgerald which he presented to the Dominicans, an order that remains in Sligo to this day. In 1516 the O'Donnells succeeded in recapturing the Castle and the town of Sligo and finally in 1595 the Castle was demolished by Red Hugh O'Donnell in order to prevent it falling into the hands of the English and was never rebuilt.

The most famous name connected with Sligo is William Butler Yeats who although born in Dublin is most associated with Sligo as his ancesters lived there. He spent his school holidays in Sligo with his grandmother and listened to her many stories of the ancient Ireland of myth and legend. His poetry and storytelling drawn spiritually from the county's scenic landscape and sense of place breathed life into the legendary figures of Irish mythology and he rescued Sligo from obscurity and immortalised its place names in his poetry as the Land of Hearts Desire. In 1923 Yeats won the Nobel Prize for Literature and inspired others to seek out that long hidden Ireland, and popularised Sligo as a place of romance and rhyme. Yeats is buried in Drumcliffe graveyard within the shadows of Benbulben Mountain, and a significant collection of Yeats' work can be found in the contemporary arts centre The Model in Sligo Town Centre.

With over 5,000 recorded archeological sites, the largest of which is the Megalithic Grave Complex at Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetary, County Sligo has one of the richest concentration of prehistoric monuments in Western Europe. Many of the notable walking routes incorporate sites of archeological and historical significance from waymarked routes to coastal paths and mountain hills to strolls through wooded enclaves. The nearest blue flag beach for bathing and water sports is at Rosses Point a seafaring village approx. 8kms from Sligo and very popular with both tourists and locals.

Sligo is renowned for its traditional music and holds many Festivals throughout the year featuring song and dance, and poetry reading. The town has dozens of pubs and bars and several restaurants many of which offer an extensive range of local seafood, and the Quayside Shopping Centre has a variety of shops catering for all tastes making it easy for the yachtsman to reprovision. Most facilities are available including water and electricity at the jetty which is a fenced-in area with a key to the gate available on request or from the Harbour foreman who visits the jetty each morning. Sligo Bay Yacht Club has a clubhouse and slip situated close to Deadman's Point and has some moorings available for visitors on request, and will extend a warm welcome to you if you call for a drink from the bar. For visiting yachts the city has all facilities and good transport connections with local and national bus and train services, and with Sligo Airport at Strandhill closeby which provides a daily service to Dublin, it makes it a convenient place for a crew change and for restocking of provisions.

What facilities are available?

This coastal town has all the services you would expect to serve a population of 20,000. Extensive shopping opportunities are available at the Quayside and Johnson's Court shopping centres, whilst the town also has a choice of good quality restaurants, pubs and bars, hotels, and places of entertainment.

Any security concerns?

Gated security, with key access available from the Harbour Foreman.

With thanks to:

inyourfootsteps.com site research