HeritageEasy1-1.5 hours
Sligo Abbey
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About
A Dominican priory founded in the mid-13th century, right in the town centre on Abbey Street, and the site that has anchored Sligo's eastern district since the town itself was founded. It survived an accidental fire in 1414 and deliberate destruction by the plantation landlord Sir Frederic Hamilton in 1642, and later served as a burial ground during the 1832 cholera epidemic and the Great Famine. What's left standing includes a 15th-century cloister, Gothic and Renaissance stone carving, and one of the few surviving medieval monastic high altars in Ireland. OPW-guided visits take in the old dining hall, dormitories and graveyard.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓15th-century cloister
- ✓medieval high altar
- ✓Gothic stone carving
- ✓town-centre location
Tips
- →Open mid-March to late December; hours and last admission shorten from October, so check heritageireland.ie before visiting in the shoulder season.
- →Combine with a walk down Rockwood Parade afterwards, a two-minute walk away.
Best Season
SpringSummerAutumn
