Rain rain go away. Come again another day! This is what I had running in my mind as we boarded the train from Dublin to Sligo. It was a morning train on the Saturday of June Bank Holiday weekend. Taking a 3 hour long train, starting at 11 am, sounded perfect for our check-in time (at the apartment we had booked) in Sligo.
Last time I travelled by train within Ireland was from Dublin to Belfast. So on the train, I had enjoyed hot food from the restaurant car. Imagining the same on this train too, we boarded it at Connolly Station. Seeing only a few coaches we realised that the train to Sligo would be different; there’s no restaurant car! But then there’s the food cart, pushed by a lovely lady who gave each one enough time to select their snack and drink. Buying our sandwiches, pastries and tea, I settled with a book to read and he took the notebook for writing some notes.
I took plenty of short breaks to look out of the window, to the shades of green.
Train from Dublin to Sligo
It was on the Wednesday night before the travel when my husband and I were looking for train connections from Dublin to other destinations in Ireland. We were too late to plan our weekend break but luck was in our favour as Sligo trains showed available for Saturday morning onwards and return on Monday afternoon.
I totally adore trains! They are so convenient, comfortable, affordable and of course much greener than flying or driving. Great scenery from your window is a BIG plus on these journeys.
Fun(ny) Fact – We always book seats facing each other because my husband is mentally programmed to sit facing in the direction of travel. To keep 100% chance of having at least one seat in that direction, we sit opposite to each other. 🙂
We were 1 hour away from Sligo when the co-passenger sitting next to my husband asked if we had visited Sligo before. They were a family that can be called ‘regulars’ to Sligo. A bunch of wonderful people who were a small part of the big group that was joining them at their family home in Sligo. They did the family get togethers in Sligo whenever they get a chance. We were introduced to Strandhill by this family. The lady said “I think Strandhill is beautiful” and so we agree, after witnessing the beauty of the Strandhill seafront.
Our Accommodation
We had booked a cosy one bedroom apartment that was in the town centre and a short walk from the train station (15 minutes at a leisurely pace). Mornings were very relaxing with the lemon cake (bought from Tesco) and tea; TV replaced the news app. Newspaper would have been lovely!
The Champions League final match that Saturday had brought the entire town out of their homes to the pubs that are concentrated in Garavogue riverside, in the town.
Town Centre Sligo
Good that we started the pub hunt for food and the match very early that evening. But the town dwellers are smarter as most pubs were booked up in advance and we went from our ‘preferred pub’ to ‘the next best’ on our list. In about half an hour we found a table in a cosy corner and right opposite to the screen. We started with good food and continued with drinks as we waited for the game to begin. Pub kept getting busier with each passing minute and by the end of the match there were more people standing with pints than sitting! Well, almost all happy faces as Ireland’s common favourite – Liverpool, won the finals.
Sligo is a cute tiny old town. From the restaurants to pubs, Sligo Abbey to WB Yeats Building, shops to offices, bus stops to train station – everything is within a radius of approx 2 kms. We walked around to every single place except to Strandhill.
Strandhill
Strandhill is this gorgeous seafront with sandy beaches, cafes, restaurants, local products store and a popular ice cream parlour. It is also famous as surfers paradise in Ireland. On a sunny day, Strandhill is like Sagres of Ireland.
We took the Bus S2 from town centre Sligo to Strandhill. Our Leap Cards (travel cards in Ireland) came handy for this bus ride. We were digging our pockets to find exact change for the two tickets when we got to know that Leap cards from Dublin will work here. Hurray! Get on the bus now.
It is half an hour of splendid scenery from Sligo town to the last stop. The bus driver was kinder than the Dublin ones as Sligo’s less population and slow life gives you more time to be kind. Every stop when an elderly boarded the bus, our driver made sure that the senior is well seated before he pushes that accelerator. He stopped for the old folks to get on or off the bus, even when there wasn’t a designated bus stop.
As the bus reached one stop before Strandhill beachfront, the driver announced “this is the stop for People’s Market”. As a few people from the bus got off to explore the market, the husband and I looked at each other; we decided to see the seaside first and then walk down to the market. Within 5 minutes the bus reached the final stop. It was a sunny day and you could smell the sea. It is right at the car park that the bus halts. In the short walk to the sea, we came across many surfers in their surfing suit and teaming up to carry the surfboards.
Strandhill People’s Market
After spending sometime in the windy seaside and grabbing a coffee in one busy cafe, we thought lunch should be eaten at the Sunday market. A good stretch of road from the sea to the market is lined with houses on both sides, so meeting a local or two will be normal. Taking this chance to talk to a Strandhill resident, we asked how long is the walk till the market. We were told that after a left turn, the road takes us straight to the People’s Market, so a total of about 15 minutes walk. That road also takes us to the Strandhill Airport. Yes, right beside the quiet airport is the Sunday hub for leisure.
The same family we met on the train had told us about the Sunday market in Strandhill. By the description of it we thought it to be very similar to People’s Park Sunday market in Dun Laoghaire. We were told there will be hot food stalls, artisans selling artefacts, farmers with local produce and lots of people with great vibes.
It definitely was the same concept but had its own character. It is like a big garage space which has been brightened with vibrant umbrellas in the ceiling, food stalls and handicraft kiosks intermingling under one large roof. There were a few long tables creating opportunities for market visitors to make new friends. And it is here that we met our train companions again. In wonderful company, around colourful surroundings and great food, we spent a large part of our afternoon.
As they proceeded to the family picnic, we walked back to the bus stop. Evening was spent eating dinner early and discussing the lack of fish and lamb options from the menu of most restaurants in Sligo.
Things to do and visit in Sligo
There are a good many things that you may do in Sligo, apart from just relaxing and still having a beautiful time. We did a bit of both, so if your plan is to visit all the important attractions in the town then you might need a little more than the long weekend.
- Historic Walk of Sligo – It is a free map available at the train station and other tourist attractions. It’s a nice map pointing the important places and a brief info about the place. We only visited two places from the list Sligo Abbey (which was great) and WB Yeats Building (which was closed that day!)
- Strandhill – It was the highlight of our holiday and I will recommend this place to everyone visiting Sligo. If our travel dates clash, I will see you there!
- Strandhill People’s Market – If your travel to Strandhill is on a Sunday, definitely try this market. It is lively, pretty, offers delicious food and eco-friendly souvenirs.
Links
We booked the tickets on Irish Rail.
While we took the 11am train from Connolly station in Dublin, there are many trains all through the day to choose from. Here’s the timetable by – Irish Rail.
Although Airbnb offers many apartment options in Sligo, we booked ours on booking.com because we found a cheaper option here.
You can check Sligo Tourism’s official page for more information.
Have you visited Sligo town or any other destination in the County Sligo?
