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97-423: The townland stands to the east of Athlone . The Dublin–Westport/Galway railway line runs through the centre of townland. This article related to the geography of County Westmeath , Ireland is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Athlone Athlone ( / æ θ ˈ l oʊ n / ; Irish : Baile Átha Luain , meaning 'The town of Luan's ford ' [ˌbʲlʲɑː ˈl̪ˠuənʲ] )

194-475: A Colonel Vereker were defeated at the battle of Carricknagat at Collooney by the combined Irish and French forces under General Humbert . A street in the town is named after the hero of this battle Bartholomew Teeling . The Lady Erin monument at Market Cross was erected in 1899 to mark the centenary of the 1798 Rebellion . The town suffered badly from a cholera outbreak in 1832. Scholars speculate that Bram Stoker , whose mother Charlotte Blake Thornley

291-638: A battle for the High Kingship – only to have Máel Sechnaill, abandoned by his kinsmen of the Northern Uí Néill , submit to Brian without a fight. A bridge was built across the river in the 12th century, approximately 100 metres (330 ft) south of the current structure. In 1129, to protect the bridge, the High King Turloch Mór Ó Conor constructed a fort on the river's west bank, within Athlone. On

388-525: A centre for the tool-making industry. The pharmaceutical industry is significant with several companies producing goods for this sector, including Abbott (Ireland) Ltd , which is among the largest employers in Sligo. Development has occurred along the River Garavogue with the regeneration of J.F.K. Parade (2000), Rockwood Parade (1993–1997), and The Riverside (1997–2006), as well as two new footbridges over

485-495: A coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo , Ireland, within the western province of Connacht . With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 29.5% of the county's population) and the 24th largest in the Republic of Ireland . Sligo is a commercial and cultural centre situated on the west coast of Ireland . Its surrounding coast and countryside, as well as its connections to

582-438: A coeducational school; Our Lady's Bower School, a girls' school; Marist College , a boys' school; Coláiste Chiaráin, the new secondary school resulting from the amalgamation of St. Aloysius' College and St Joseph's College, Summerhill. In June 2010, Taoiseach Brian Cowen announced his support of a proposed European and Chinese training hub in Athlone. In May 2012, the project was granted permission by An Bord Pleanála . It

679-505: A fine brogue in Athlone, almost as fine as in Belfast". "It's a fine brogue, but it's not brogue. It's the English language as it was spoken before all the other countries of the world forgot how to speak it. There are two things a singer can't buy, beg or steal, and that no teacher, coach or conductor can give him. One is his voice, the other is the language that was born in his mouth. When McCormack

776-685: A further 1,937 (9.4%) did not state any religion. Sligo is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin . The main church of the diocese is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception which is located on Temple Street. Other Catholic churches in the town are St. Anne's Church, Cranmore and St. Joseph's Church, Ballytivnan. The town is also part of the Church of Ireland United Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh . The primary church in

873-576: A life-sized male figure, dressed in a typical IRA uniform from the period, and was created by Dublin-based sculptor Desmond Broe . Also on Custume Place is a sculpture, the "Mask of the Shannon", which was erected in 2020 - despite some controversy about the choice of figure used to personify the River Shannon . A figurative statue , representing the "contributions the Marist Brothers have made to

970-498: A maize mill and grain silo, and used an innovative construction method invented by François Hennebique in 1892. It is one of the earliest examples of its type in Ireland. Sligo's climate is classified, like all of Ireland, as temperate oceanic . It is characterised by high levels of precipitation and a narrow annual temperature range. The mean yearly temperature is 9.4 degrees Celsius (49 degrees Fahrenheit). The mean January temperature

1067-516: A number of hotels, including chains such the Radisson Blu and Sheraton hotels, as well as several locally-owned ones. The promenade on the River Shannon is popular among anglers , birdwatchers and swimmers . The lakeshore is accessed from Coosan Point and Hodson Bay. Athlone Castle is open to the public as a museum and there is a tourist office on Church Street. Sean's Bar , located on

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1164-460: A number of occasions both the fort and bridge were subject to attacks, and towards the end of the 12th century the Anglo-Normans constructed a motte-and-bailey fortification there. This earthen fort was followed by a stone structure built in 1210 by Justiciar John de Gray . The 12-sided donjon , or tower, dates from this time; however, the rest of the original castle was largely destroyed during

1261-481: A pharmaceutical company that succeeded Elan in Athlone; Bioclin Laboratories, another pharmaceutical company; Ericsson , a telecommunications business; Tyco Healthcare , a medical equipment supplier; Utah Medical, another medical equipment supplier; Pharmaplaz, another pharmaceutical company; Alienware , a computer hardware business; ICT Eurotel, a contact centre; and Athlone Extrusions, a polymer supplier. Athlone

1358-569: A right to elect two MPs to the Irish House of Commons until 1801. After the Acts of Union 1800 , it was represented in the United Kingdom House of Commons by one MP. A commissioners' report dated 1833 stated: "To the prosperity of Athlone the corporation have at no time contributed, nor is it likely that, as at present constituted, they ever will. The strongest feeling of hostility exists between

1455-409: Is 5.2 °C (41 °F), while the mean July temperature is 15.3 °C (60 °F). On average, the driest months are April to June while the wettest months are October to January. Rainfall averages 1131 mm (44.5 in) per year. The high rainfall means Sligo is in the temperate rainforest biome, examples of which exist around Lough Gill . The lowest temperature ever recorded in Ireland

1552-563: Is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath , Ireland . It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree . It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of 22,869 in the 2022 census . Most of the town lies on the east bank of the river, within the townland of the same name ; however, by the terms of the Local Government Act of 1898 , six townlands on

1649-643: Is also home to a number of privately operated services, including the Flagline bus company, which operates local bus routes as well as service to Tullamore . Bus Éireann continues to operate a local Athlone bus service in and around the town. The local services are as follows: Route A1: Bus Station, Willow Park (Norwood Court) via Golden Island Shopping Centre, Dublin Road and Athlone Institute of Technology; and Route A2: Monksland (River Village); Garrycastle (Moydrum Road) via Galway Road, St. Peter's Avenue, Saint Anne's Terrace,

1746-442: Is an annual event which began in 1999, originally as a weekend celebration of the life and works of John Broderick , but which now features a great variety of speakers and debaters. The tenor John McCormack was born in Athlone and, for many years, an annual festival was held in the town to celebrate his life. Athlone School of Music opened in 2005 and is a grant-aided project aimed at developing music education and services in

1843-479: Is an outlier of the large group of monuments at Carrowmore on the Cúil Iorra Peninsula on the western outskirts of the town. The area around Sligo town has one of the highest densities of prehistoric archaeological sites in Ireland, and is the only place in which all classes of Irish megalithic monuments are to be found together. Knocknarea mountain, capped by the great cairn of Miosgan Maeve , dominates

1940-517: Is housed in The Niland Gallery, part of the Model centre on The Mall in Sligo. The Yeats Summer School takes place every year in the town. Sligo town has connections with Goon Show star and writer Spike Milligan , whose father was from Sligo, and a plaque was unveiled at the former Milligan family home on Sligo's Holborn Street. Traditional Irish music sessions are held in several venues in

2037-662: Is known as Griffith's Corner. During the Civil War, Sligo railway station was blown up by Anti-Treaty forces on 10 January 1923. In 1961, St. John the Baptist's Church became a cathedral of the Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh after St. Mary's Cathedral in Elphin was abandoned, being destroyed by a storm four years previously. Situated on a coastal plain facing the Atlantic Ocean, Sligo

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2134-566: Is located on low gravel hills on the banks of the Garavogue River between Lough Gill and the estuary of the Garavogue river leading to Sligo Bay . The town is surrounded on three sides by an arc of mountains, with the Ox Mountain ridges of Slieve Daeane and Killery Mountain to the southeast bordering Lough Gill. The flat topped limestone plateaux of Cope's, Keelogyboy and Castlegal Mountains to

2231-581: Is part of the municipal district of Athlone— Moate . Theatres in Athlone include the Dean Crowe Theatre & Arts Centre and the Little Theatre . RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival takes place annually in Athlone, bringing together nine amateur drama groups from across Ireland. The festival is supported by a number of "fringe" events that include street theatre , art exhibitions , workshops and activities for young people. Athlone Literary Festival

2328-632: Is the Cathedral of St Mary the Virgin and St. John the Baptist on John Street. The current building dates from 1730 when it was designed by the German architect Richard Cassels who was visiting to design Hazelwood House . The cathedral contains four memorials to the Pollexfen family, maternal relatives of W. B. Yeats . In the nineteenth century, Sligo experienced rapid economic growth and therefore architectural change

2425-590: Is the diocesan seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin . It is in the Church of Ireland Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh . County Sligo is one of the counties that make up the province of Connacht . The county is part of the Border Region due to the fact that part of North Sligo is relatively close to ' the Border '. The Border Region in the Republic of Ireland has a population of over 500,000 people and consists of

2522-482: Is the oldest causewayed enclosure so far discovered in Britain or Ireland. It consists of a large area enclosed by a segmented ditch and palisade , and was perhaps an area of commerce and ritual. These monuments are associated with the coming of agriculture and hence the first farmers in Ireland. According to archaeologist Edward Danagher, who excavated the site, "Magheraboy indicates a stable and successful population during

2619-463: Is the regional centre for a large number of state-run and semi-state-run organisations. The Department of Education , State Examinations Commission , Revenue Commissioners , FÁS Midlands Region, Bus Éireann , Iarnród Éireann , IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland all have bases in the town. Athlone is also a major Irish military centre, as the Custume Barracks , which lie on the west bank of

2716-556: The Acts of Union 1800 , Athlone continued as a constituency , sending one MP to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. In the 1970s the Republican Éire Nua programme proposed making Athlone the capital of a federal United Ireland . With the two counties divided by the river, the part of the town that lies east of the Shannon is in the province of Leinster ,

2813-603: The British Army during the War of Independence . For this reason IRA activity was limited to actions such as harassment, sabotage and jailbreaks. At various times during the war, prominent Republicans were held at the Sligo Gaol . The commander of IRA forces in Sligo was Liam Pilkington . Arthur Griffith spoke in April 1922 on the corner of O'Connell Street and Grattan Street. To this day it

2910-664: The Jacobite strongholds that defended the river-crossings into the Jacobite-held Province of Connacht following the Battle of the Boyne on 1 July 1690. That same year, Colonel Richard Grace 's Jacobite forces in Athlone repelled an attack by 10,000 men led by Commander Douglas. In the following year's campaign, the Siege of Athlone saw a further assault by a larger allied force, during which

3007-475: The Justiciar of Ireland , is generally credited with the establishment of the medieval European-style town and port of Sligo, building Sligo Castle in 1245 . The annalists refer to the town as a sraidbhaile ('street settlement') which seems to have consisted of the castle and an attached defensive bawn in the vicinity of Quay street. A Dominican Friary (Blackfriars) was also founded by Maurice Fitzgerald and

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3104-562: The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 , the town became an urban district and the board of commissioners was upgraded to an urban district council. The portion of the urban sanitary district which had been in County Roscommon was transferred to County Westmeath. In 2002, the urban district council became a town council. In 2003, the area of jurisdiction of the town was enlarged. In 2014, in common with all town councils in Ireland, it

3201-720: The Rio de Janeiro State University , one of the largest universities in the Brazilian city. AIT also has agreements with the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais , one of the largest Brazilian private universities. The institute also founded agreements with two leading Beijing universities, the Capital University of Economics and Business and the Beijing Union University . The agreements were signed by

3298-570: The St. Peter and St. Pauls , a Franciscan friary and a chapel of the Society of Saint Pius X . However, seven townlands , or sections of the town, lie west of the Shannon: Athlone and Big Meadow, Bellaugh, Bogganfin, Canal and Banks, Doovoge, part of Monksland, and Ranelagh. Although surrounded by County Roscommon in the province of Connacht , they are designated as part of County Westmeath to preserve

3395-684: The Westport / Ballina lines as well as to Athenry , Oranmore and Galway . Connections from Athlone via a train transfer at Athenry railway station extend to Ennis and Limerick , while a transfer at Portarlington connects Limerick Junction and Limerick . There are trains from Portarlington to Mallow , and from Mallow to Cork , Killarney , Farranfore and Tralee . Travel between Athlone and Killdare enables connections to Carlow , Kilkenny and Waterford . For many years state-owned bus operator Bus Éireann provided hourly services to Dublin and Galway from its bus station in Athlone located beside

3492-607: The Williamite War (1689–91) the town was fought over between the Jacobite Irish Army loyal to James II and Williamite forces. Patrick Sarsfield was able to capture the town and repulsed a Williamite attack to retake it; however, Sligo was later surrendered to forces under the command of Arthur Forbes, 1st Earl of Granard . In 1798, a mixed force of the Limerick Militia, Essex Fencibles and local yeomanry under

3589-463: The 1691 Siege of Athlone and subsequently rebuilt and enlarged. In 1607, Athlone was granted a municipal charter by James I. This entitled it to send two MPs to the Irish House of Commons . Throughout the wars that wracked Ireland in the 17th century, Athlone contained the vital, main bridge over the River Shannon into Connacht . During the Irish Confederate Wars (1641–53), the town

3686-568: The Abbeyquarter on the east side to St. Johns Cathedral to the west. This seems to have been the first street laid out in the town. Burgage plots of Norman origin are also evident in the long narrow property boundaries typical of the centre of the town. The only surviving medieval building is Sligo Holy Cross Dominican Friary built in 1252. An arched tower and three sided cloister of the Abbey Church still survive. The next oldest extant building

3783-479: The Arcadia Retail Park and Athlone Institute of Technology rather than the bus station. Such private bus companies that stop in Athlone include Citylink and a new Aircoach bus route (Galway-Athlone-Dublin) which was established soon after Bus Éireann's decision, to cope with the demand. There are also services to Limerick , Dundalk , Waterford , Cavan , Belfast , Longford and Roscommon . The town

3880-590: The Batteries, Connaught Street, Northgate Street, Bus Station, Golden Island Shopping Centre , Dublin Road and Athlone Institute of Technology . The Athlone Town service became Ireland's first fully electric bus service in January 2023. The town is located alongside the N6 dual carriageway , which is effectively a section of the M6 motorway connecting Galway to Dublin. The N6 passes along

3977-812: The Chinese Ambassador to Ireland and university representatives. Other agreements exist between the AIT and TVTC , in Saudi Arabia, and a memorandum of understanding exists with the Georgia Institute of Technology . Further agreements exist with the Bharati Vidyapeeth , one of the largest universities in India . There are four major secondary schools in the Athlone area, the Athlone Community College ,

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4074-579: The County of Sligo…" The walls were never built. Sligo Abbey , actually a Dominican Friary, although a ruin, is the only medieval building left standing in the town. Much of the structure, including the choir, carved altar (the only one in situ in Ireland) and cloisters, remains. When Sir Frederick Hamilton's Parliamentarian soldiers partially sacked Sligo in 1642, the Friary was burned and many friars killed. During

4171-707: The EU (978, 4.7%) were also noted. 6,522 persons could speak the Irish language. 3,410 persons spoke a language other than Irish or English at home and, of these, Polish was the most common foreign language spoken at home, with 744 speakers. In the 2022 census , 13,226 residents (64.2%) identified their religion as Roman Catholic or Lapsed (Roman) Catholic . A further 791 (3.8%) identified as Islamic , 469 (2.3%) as Church of Ireland , Church of England , Anglican or Episcopalian and 242 as Orthodox (Greek, Coptic or Russian) . 3,100 persons (15.0%) indicated that they had no religion, and

4268-630: The Gaeltacht, opened with an exhibition of works from the Irish Museum of Modern Art . Burgess Park stands near the centre of the town, on the banks of the River Shannon . Other nearby tourist attractions include the Glendeer Open Farm and the Viking Cruise of the Shannon. Baysports , a boat training and watersports centre with the world's largest floating inflatable water slide, is located on

4365-438: The Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Studies building, built in 2003; the Nursing and Health Science building, built in 2005; the Midlands Innovation and Research Centre, also built in 2005; the Engineering and Informatics building, built in 2010; and the Postgraduate Research Hub, also built in 2010. RTÉ's Midlands studio and office are located at AIT. The Athlone Institute of Technology has memorandum of understanding with

4462-540: The King of Connacht, Felim mac Cathal Crobderg Ua Conchobair , in 1253. This was accidentally destroyed by fire in 1414, and was subsequently rebuilt in its present form by Tighernan O’Rourke. Norman hegemony was, however, not destined to last long in Sligo. The Norman advance was halted in Sligo after the battle of Credran Cille in 1257 at Ros Ceite ( Rosses Point ) between Godfrey O'Donnell , Lord of Tirconnell , and Maurice Fitzgerald. Both commanders were mortally wounded in single combat. The Norman invasion of Tír Chonaill

4559-442: The Midlands region. Abbey Road Artists' Studios launched in 2011 in a building constructed in 1841. These artists' studios, which provide a dedicated space for local and visiting artists, consist of four individual studios as well as a multi-purpose space which is used community cultural events, exhibitions, performances and workshops. The Abbey Road artists' studios work closely with the Luan Art Gallery . In 1954, Athlone became

4656-484: The Netherlands. The account was penned by the victorious commanding officer from the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , general lieutenant Godard van Reede, in letters written to his family in mainland Europe. In the account, the commanding allied officer reported that half of Athlone's defenders retreated westward, towards the rest of their army, leaving almost 2,000 dead within the city walls and more than 100 taken prisoner, including dozens of officers. Following

4753-431: The Northern and Western Regional Assembly. Sligo Town is part of the NUTS 3 Border Region , which recognises that part of north County Sligo is relatively close to the border with Northern Ireland . A study by the European Committee of the Regions found that the Border Region was the most exposed in Europe to the economic effects of Brexit . Sligo is a major services and shopping centre within this region. As of 2016

4850-421: The O 'Conors were a branch of the O'Conchobar dynasty of Kings of Connacht . It continued to develop within the túath (Irish territory) of Cairbre Drom Cliabh becoming the effective centre of the confederation of túatha. The other Irish túatha subject to here were Tír Fhíacrach Múaidhe , Luighne Connacht , Tir Olliol and Corann . Throughout this time Sligo was under the system of Fénechus (Brehon) law and

4947-403: The O'Conor Sligo. He was killed for a satire he wrote on the O'Haras. The annals record the death in 1561 of Naisse mac Cithruadh , the "most eminent musician that was in Éireann", by drowning on Lough Gill . In the 17th century, two brothers from County Sligo, Thomas and William Connellan from Cloonamahon, were among the last of the great Irish bards and harpists. Thomas is the author of

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5044-451: The Shannon in the town, is the headquarters of the Western Command of the Irish Army . The Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) is a constituent institute of the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest , (TUS). Athlone forms part of the Midlands Gateway , an in-progress infrastructure initiative, along with Mullingar and Tullamore . The AIT has a campus size of 44 acres, and has new, purpose-built facilities include

5141-413: The St. Johns Hospital Chapel, Benbullen Rehabilitation Unit, Ballytivan. Sligo is in the Northern and Western Region , a NUTS 2 region classified as an underdeveloped "region in transition" by the EU Commission . This is an area where GDP is from 75% to 90% of the EU average. It is entitled to funding from European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Operational Programmes, which are administered by

5238-418: The city of Nagnata on Claudius Ptolemy 's second century A.D. co-ordinate map of the world. During the early medieval period, the site of Sligo was eclipsed by the importance of the great monastery founded by Columcille 5 miles to the north at Drumcliff . By the 12th century, there was a bridge and a small settlement in existence at the site of the present town. The Norman knight Maurice Fitzgerald ,

5335-421: The counties of Cavan , Donegal , Leitrim , Louth and Monaghan . The town consists of a medieval core street layout, but with mainly 19th-century buildings, many of which are of architectural merit. The town has a High Street which descends from the south of the town and terminates in a market flare at the Market Cross, a pattern typical of Norman street layouts. Here it meets the east west road leading from

5432-422: The county of Westmeath , the barony of Brawny , and the civil parish of St Mary's. Unusually, the barony is coterminous with a single civil parish. In terms of ecclesiastical boundaries, the eastern part of the town is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise and the parish of St Mary's. There are several other churches in the town including a Church of Ireland ( St. Mary's , Anglican ),

5529-413: The diocese is the St John the Baptist Cathedral, Sligo which is located on John Street. Sligo Presbyterian Church is located on Church Street and Sligo Methodist Church is located on Wine Street. There is also a small Baptist church at Cartron Village, Rosses Point Road. The Sligo-Leitrim Islamic Cultural Centre (SLICC) is located on Mail Coach Road. The Indian Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church meets at

5626-410: The door bears the inscription "Ireland sober, is Ireland free". The Model School, now the Model Arts & Niland Gallery , was built by James Owen of the Board of Works to provide education to all denominations between 1857 and 1863, it was to serve as a model for other schools throughout the country. The former Batchelors factory on Deep Water Quay is an industrial building which was built in 1905 as

5723-441: The east. Located centrally is the Athlone Town Centre , a shopping centre built in 2007, containing 54 shops, cafés and a four-star hotel. The Golden Island Shopping Centre , which opened in 1997, is also located in the town centre. Athlone Regional Sports Centre, developed by the former Town Council in 2002, is located on the outskirts of the town. The facility contains a swimming pool, gym and AstroTurf pitches. Athlone has

5820-403: The final centuries of the fifth millennium and the first centuries of the fourth millennium BC". Danagher's work also documented a Bronze Age Henge at Tonafortes (beside the Carraroe roundabout) on the southern outskirts of Sligo town. Sligo Bay is an ancient natural harbour, being known to Greek , Phoenician and Roman traders as the area is thought by some to be the location marked as

5917-445: The first branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland and the town had a large part in the organisation's creation. American crime writer James M. Cain refers to Athlone in his 1937 book, Serenade , in a passage where two characters discuss tenor John McCormack: "--There's the language he was born to. John McCormack comes from Dublin". "He does not. He comes from Athlone". "Didn't he live in Dublin?". "No Matter. They speak

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6014-400: The inhabitants and its members." The municipal corporation was abolished under the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 . It was disfranchised by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 . Athlone was later granted town commissioners under the Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act 1854. Following the Public Health (Ireland) Act 1878 , Athlone was designated as an urban sanitary district. Under

6111-480: The integrity of the town. These townlands lie in St Peter's civil parish in the barony of Athlone South . In terms of ecclesiastical boundaries, the townlands west of the Shannon are part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin and the parish of Saints Peter and Paul. Athlone is a common stop for pleasure craft along the River Shannon. Lough Ree , the largest lake on the Shannon, is a short distance upstream from Athlone, and many boat companies are based out of

6208-410: The invading troops of King William and Queen Mary eventually overran the entire city. The defenders were forced to flee further west, toward the River Suck , at such speed that eyewitness accounts record that they "flung their cannons into the morass" as they fled. The most recently discovered account of the Siege of Athlone, written after the attack, on 5 July 1691, was found in 2004 in an archive in

6305-416: The late 16th century when, during the Elizabethan conquest, it was selected as the county town for the newly shired County of Sligo. An order was sent by the Elizabethan Government to Sir Nicholas Malby , Knight, wanting him to establish "apt and safe" places for the keeping of the Assizes & Sessions, with walls of lime & stone, in each county of Connacht, "judging that the aptest place be in Sligo, for

6402-437: The mid-15th century the town and port had grown in importance. It traded with Galway, Bristol , France and Spain. Amongst the earliest preserved specimens of written English in Connacht 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". Sligo continued under Gaelic control until

6499-402: The north and northeast and the singular hill of Knocknarea with its Neolithic cairn to the west and the distinctive high plateau of Benbulben to the north. Sligo is an important bridging point on the main north–south route between Ulster and Connacht . It is the county town of County Sligo and is in the Barony of Carbury (formerly the Gaelic túath of Cairbre Drom Cliabh ). Sligo

6596-406: The northern side of the town, crossing the River Shannon into County Roscommon . A number of national secondary roads connect Athlone with other towns and regions, namely the N55 to Ballymahon and Cavan , the N61 to Roscommon and the N62 to Birr , Roscrea , and Southern Ireland. Athlone was granted a municipal charter by James I in 1607. This created a parliamentary borough with

6693-422: The outskirts of the town at Hodson Bay. Examples of public art and sculpture in Athlone include the IRA Memorial which was erected near the corner of Church Street and Custume Place in the early 1950s. It is dedicated to the Athlone Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) that participated in the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921) and Irish Civil War (1922–1923). The limestone statue consists of

6790-404: The poet W. B. Yeats , have made it a tourist destination. Sligo is the anglicisation of the Irish name Sligeach , meaning "abounding in shells" or "shelly place". It refers to the abundance of shellfish found in the river and its estuary, and from the extensive shell middens in the vicinity. The river now known as the Garavogue ( Irish : An Gharbhóg ), perhaps meaning "little torrent",

6887-403: The poorhouse... I remain your affectionate father, Owen Larkin. Be sure answer this by return of post. The early years of the century saw much industrial unrest as workers in the Port of Sligo fought for better pay and conditions. This resulted in two major strikes, in 1912 and, in 1913 the prolonged Sligo dock strike . Both ended in victory for the workers. Sligo Town was heavily garrisoned by

6984-748: The railway station, but in July 2021 these routes, 20 and X20 Expressway, were cancelled indefinitely. The company cited "continuing losses [..] resulting from the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic " as the reason. Bus Éireann services between Dublin and Belfast, Cork and Limerick were also cut following a "viability review" of 18 routes in September 2020. It was noted that from July 2021 onwards, bus journeys between Athlone and Galway, Ballinasloe , Moate , Dublin city or Dublin airport would be operated by private companies only, with passengers being dropped off or picked up at

7081-559: The river estuary at Sligo, around the coast to the river at Ballysadare Bay, is rich in marine resources which were utilised as far back as the Mesolithic period. The importance of Sligo's location in prehistory is demonstrated by the abundance of ancient sites close by and even within the town. For example, Sligo town's first roundabout was constructed around a megalithic passage tomb at Abbeyquarter North in Garavogue Villas. This

7178-474: The river, one on Rockwood Parade (1996) and one on The Riverside (1999). Sligo has a variety of independent shops and shopping malls. There is a retail park in Carraroe, on the outskirts of Sligo. The culture of County Sligo, especially of North Sligo, was an inspiration on both poet and Nobel laureate W. B. Yeats and his brother, the artist and illustrator Jack Butler Yeats . A collection of Jack B. Yeats's art

7275-481: The service sector is the primary employment sector in the county, employing 18,760 (71.7%) of workforce. Industry and construction makes up 17% (4,427) of employment, and agriculture, forestry and fishing 7.2% (1,868). The total number employed is 26,002. 3,843 people are employed in agency assisted ( IDA ) companies. Sligo borough labour catchment as of 2016 is 21,824. 92% of enterprises in Sligo are micro-enterprises of 10 or fewer employees. Sligo has traditionally been

7372-588: The skyline to the west of the town. Cairns Hill on the southern edge of the town also has two very large stone cairns. Excavations for the National Roads Authority (NRA) for the N4 Sligo Inner Relief Road in 2002 revealed an early Neolithic causewayed enclosure . Built around 4000 B.C., the Magheraboy causewayed enclosure is located on high ground overlooking the town from the south. This

7469-553: The streets grass-grown and five-eighths of the population dead. We had great reason to thank God who had spared us. The Great Famine between 1847 and 1851 caused over 30,000 people to emigrate through the port of Sligo. On the Quays, overlooking the Garavogue River , is a cast bronze memorial to the emigrants. This is one of a suite of three sculptures commissioned by the Sligo Famine Commemoration Committee to honour

7566-595: The town of Athlone", was unveiled on St. Mary's Square in 2012. The Old Rail Trail greenway runs for 42 kilometres from Athlone to Mullingar , along the disused Athlone-Mullingar Railway . It will eventually form part of the Dublin–Galway Greenway . A new cycle and pedestrian bridge over the River Shannon was built beside the Luan Gallery and opened in August 2023. Athlone's major employers include Alkermes,

7663-500: The town. In the early 13th century, the poet and crusader Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh kept a school of poetry at Lissadell north of Sligo town. He was Ollamh Fileadh (High Poet) to the Ó Domhnaill kings of Tír Chonaill . The school appears to have been dissolved after the Norman invasion. In the 16th century, the poet Tadhg Dall Ó hÚigínn wrote many praise poems in strict Dán Díreach metre for local chiefs and patrons such as

7760-519: The town. For craft to pass through Athlone, it is necessary to use a lock in the river, which is beside the weir and downstream of the current road bridge. The lock, weir, and bridge were all constructed by the Shannon navigation commissioners in the 1840s. Before then, boats used a canal, about a mile and a half long, to the west of the river. The canal was built by Thomas Omer for the Commissioners of Inland Navigation. Work started in 1757 and involved

7857-512: The victims of the Great Famine . A plaque in the background 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

7954-412: The west bank of the Shannon, formerly in County Roscommon, were incorporated into the town, and consequently, into the county of Westmeath. Around 100 km west of Dublin , Athlone is near the geographical centre of Ireland . Athlone Castle , situated on the western bank of the River Shannon, is the geographical and historical centre of Athlone. Throughout its early history, the ford of Athlone

8051-624: The west bank of the river, was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest pub in Ireland. The Luan Gallery was opened in 2012. It is the first purpose-built, modern visual art gallery in the Midlands. It was designed by Keith Williams , who also designed the Athlone Civic Centre. The gallery, which was officially opened by Jimmy Deenihan , the Minister for Arts, Heritage and

8148-552: The work of over 300 men. Omer built a single lock, 120' X 19' with a rise of 4.5', but there was also a guard lock, further upstream, with a single set of gates to protect the canal against floods. There were also two lay-bys, or harbours, one above the lock and another at the upstream end. The old canal is no longer navigable. Athlone railway station opened on 3 October 1859, with Irish Rail services travelling eastwards to Portarlington , Kildare and Dublin Heuston and westwards to

8245-469: Was 2RN, a wordplay on the song "Come back to Erin". The station subsequently became known as "Radio Athlone" and could clearly be heard throughout Europe, and as far away as Moscow. This changed as bandwidth allocations were accorded at the Helsinki Declaration. The station originally operated at a power of 60 kW, which during the 1950s, was increased to 100 kW. For an antenna, a T-antenna

8342-583: Was abandoned after this. In 1289 a survey indicates there were 180 burgesses in the town. The Normans had laid a foundation that was to last. The town is unique in Ireland in that it is the only Norman-founded Irish town to have been under almost continuous native Irish control throughout the Medieval period. Despite Anglo-Norman attempts to retake it, it became the administrative centre of the O'Conor Sligo ( O'Conchobar Sligigh ) confederation of Iochtar Connacht (Lower Connacht) by 1315 AD. Also called Clan Aindrias,

8439-444: Was abolished. The urban district council was based at the old civic offices, which had been crudely extended over time and were demolished to make way for the new Athlone Civic Centre, which was completed in 2004. In County Roscommon, Athlone is a six-seat local electoral area (LEA) to Roscommon County Council which forms its own municipal district. In County Westmeath, Athlone is a five-seat LEA to Westmeath County Council which

8536-450: Was and is still used, which spins between two 100-metre tall guyed masts with square cross-sections and which are insulated against ground. Many old radio sets in Europe had the "Athlone" dial position marked near the end of their tuning scales. Sligo Sligo ( / ˈ s l aɪ ɡ oʊ / SLY -goh ; Irish : Sligeach [ˈʃl̠ʲɪɟəx] , meaning 'abounding in shells') is

8633-459: Was held by Irish Confederate troops until it was taken in late 1650 by Charles Coote , who attacked the town from the west, having crossed into Connacht at Sligo . Forty years later, during the pan-European War of the Grand Alliance (1688–97), the town was again of key strategic importance. In the Irish phase of the conflict (the Williamite War in Ireland of 1688–1691), Athlone was one of

8730-513: Was originally called the Sligeach. It is listed as one of the seven "royal rivers" of Ireland in the ninth century AD tale The Destruction of Da Dergas Hostel . The river Slicech is also referenced in the Annals of Ulster in 1188. 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". The whole area, from

8827-533: Was planned to comprise a total of nine exhibition halls, nine smaller independent exhibition buildings, one temporary exhibition space, several offices, administrative services, some living quarters, hotels, shops, restaurants, pubs, a school and railway station. It was never built. Between 1931 and 1975 the main radio transmission centre for Irish radio was located at Moydrum, Athlone ( 53°25′14″N 7°52′52″W  /  53.42056°N 7.88111°W  / 53.42056; -7.88111 ). The original call sign

8924-458: Was probably (there are no records and the family lived in both Sligo and Ballyshannon ) born in Sligo in 1818 and experienced the epidemic first hand, was influenced by her stories when he wrote his famous novel, Dracula . The family lived on Correction Street in the town. After fleeing to Ballyshannon, Charlotte wrote: At the end of that time, we were able to live in peace till the plague had abated and we could return to Sligo. There, we found

9021-489: Was rapid. This was marked by the erection of many public buildings. These include Sligo Town Hall , designed by William Hague in a Lombardo-Romanesque style. Sligo Courthouse on Teeling street is an asymmetrical Neo-Gothic building designed by Rawson Carroll and built in 1878. The Gilooly Memorial Hall is an austere building on Temple Street built as a memorial to the Temperance campaigner Bishop Gillooly. His statue above

9118-461: Was ruled by the Gaelic system of an elected Rí túath (territory king/lord), and an assembly known as an oireacht. Through competition between Gaelic dynasties for the lucrative port duties of Sligo, the town was burned, sacked or besieged approximately 49 times during the medieval period, according to the annals of Ireland. These raids seem to have had little effect on the development of the town, as by

9215-458: Was singing Handel he was singing English, and he sings it as no American and no Englishman will ever sing English". The Irish poet Aubrey Thomas de Vere wrote a poem The Ballad of Athlone which is an account of an incident in the 1691 siege. Athlone is a retail destination within the Midlands region of Ireland. The town centre extends from Church Street in the west to Seán Costello Street in

9312-542: Was strategically important, as south of Athlone the Shannon is impassable until Clonmacnoise , where the Esker Riada meets the Shannon, while to the north the Shannon flows into Lough Ree . In 1001 Brian Bóru sailed his army up river from Kincora and through Lough Derg to attend a gathering in Athlone. The following year, Brian met the High King of Ireland Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill at Athlone, intending to engage him in

9409-500: Was −19.1 °C (−2.4 °F) at Markree Castle, County Sligo, on 16 January 1881. Sligo had a population of 19,199 in 2016 and 20,608 in 2022, a growth of 7.3% according to the census. From the 2022 population, 9,969 were males and 10,639 females. Irish citizens made up 79.6% of the population with Polish (542 persons or 2.6%), British (311, 1.5%) and Indian (255, 1.2%) as the next largest declared citizenships. People from other EU countries (674, 3.3%) and those from elsewhere outside

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