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About
Sligo
The most celebrated of all of Ireland's poets, W.B Yeats was born in Dublin - his mother, however, was from Sligo, where he spent a lot of time as a child. Yeats visited Sligo frequently - periods which led to the inspiration of the poet in many of his future works, drawing spiritually from the county's scenic landscape and sense of place.
Some of
the other attractions to look out for in Sligo include:
Carrowmore Culkin's Emmigration Museum Sligo County Museum Sligo Abbey Woodville Farm Lissaddel House Sligo Art Gallery Drumcliffe Church and Visitor Centre
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With
one of the greatest concentration of megalithic monuments in Ireland,
Sligo boasts a landscape as rich in lore as it is in beauty . Sacked
by the Vikings at the beginning of the ninth century, Sligo came to
prominence once again in 1235, when the de Burgo invasion overthrew
the local chieftains. The land was granted to Maurice Fitzgerald, Lord
of Naas - who founded a castle and friary there in the years that followed.
Now destroyed, the castle once stood on what is currently Castle Street.
During the Great Famine, Sligo's population fell dramatically by a third
through either death or emigration. By the end of the last century though,
the town experienced a significant turn around, becoming a busy centre
and hub of activity. 
A
litany of places and monuments pay homage to Yeats in the town of Sligo,
and indeed in the areas surrounding it. At Drumcliffe, by the foot of
Benbulben, where the poet is buried, a memorial stone complex has been
built incorporating an audio-visual presentation about the poet, complimented
with a craft and coffee shop. A sculptural portrayal of Yeats stands
on Stephen Street, in Sligo town, inscribed with lines from the poets
works, many relating to the 1916 Rising.
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