Thursday 6th June 2024
It was a rough, wet and windy start to the day, we drove along a road that hugged the coast with some spectacular scenery, every time we stopped to take a photo we were nearly blown away and got quite wet.
It was quite a long drive to Sligo but the scenery both along the coast and inland was very enjoyable to drive through. We parked quite close to the town centre in a 3 euro all day car park and after lunch wandered into town.
The Garavogue River or Garvoge River also known as Sligo river is only 3.2 km long flowing from Lough Gill into Sligo Bay.
SLIGO ABBEY.
Sligo Abbey was a Dominican friary founded in the mid 13th century by Maurice Fitzgerald. The site contains a great wealth of carvings including Gothic and Renaissance tomb sculpture, well preserved cloisters and the only 15th century high altar to survive in any Irish monastic church.
We spent an enjoyable period of time wandering around the Abbey it’s amazing considering the ills that befell it that so much survives, even when not in use it was used to bury the dead from a Cholera Plague with Sligo being badly affected.
The cathedral is surrounded by buildings and it was difficult to take a photo showing its architectural splendour. Michelle ventured inside but couldn’t take photos as although there wasn’t a service people were quietly praying.
For a change tonight we aren’t smelling the sea air, we have driven 6 miles inland and are parked next to Lough Gill, a fresh water lake that feeds the river I mentioned above.
taraabit 