Sligo, Ireland
Yeats Country Windbreak
"Where the poet's grave gets more visitors than the pubs"
Official Coat of Arms
A shield dominated by the flat-topped silhouette of Benbulben under a sky depicting all four seasons simultaneously, with a garland of seaweed representing the town's coastal dampness. Below, a scroll bearing the motto 'Umbrella Optional, Regret Mandatory'.
TripAdvisor Review
★★★☆☆ 3/5
"Lovely spot at the foot of Benbulben but my god the wind coming off that mountain nearly took my car door off in the Tesco car park. Did the Yeats grave pilgrimage in Drumcliffe, very moving, then got soaked walking back because the weather changed four times in an hour. The town itself is small but charming, good traditional music if you find the right pub, though half the shops seemed to be closed on a Tuesday afternoon for no apparent reason. Would return but I'm buying a better coat first."— Barry Fitzsimmons, Athlone
Property Listing
Charming riverside county town boasting dramatic mountain views that will feature in every Instagram post you never post because your phone died from the cold. Excellent commuter links to Yeats-related gift shops and a genuinely stunning coastline you'll enjoy for the eleven days a year it isn't raining sideways.
Twinned With
Wuthering Heights — Both are dramatically beautiful, permanently windswept, and have built an entire tourism industry around one dead writer.
Supporting Evidence
Sligo is buried beneath Benbulben's shadow and was so beloved by W.B. Yeats that he's buried in nearby Drumcliffe, under the mountain he wrote about, despite technically dying in France.