The western province of Connacht of Ireland includes the beachside seaport of Sligo as well as the county town of County Sligo. The business and cultural hub of Sligo is located on the west coast of Ireland. Sligo, which means -- Abounding in Shells or Shelly Place --, is the English translation of the Irish word Sligeach. The richness of shellfish in the river and its estuary as well as the enormous shell middens nearby are hereby so mentioned. At Abbeyquarter North in Garavogue Villas, the first roundabout in Sligo town was built on a megalithic passage tomb. This landmark stands out among the many others in Carrowmore. The region around Sligo town is the only spot in Ireland where all types of Irish megalithic constructions can be found together and contains one of the highest concentrations of prehistoric archaeological sites. The creation of the mediaeval European-styled town and harbour of Sligo is commonly given to the Norman knight Maurice Fitzgerald, the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, who constructed Sligo Castle in 1245 A.D. The town, known by the annalists as -- Sraidbhaile -- which literally meant — Street Settlement —, appears to have been made up including the castle and a nearby protective bawn in the area of Quay Street. In 1253, Maurice Fitzgerald and the King of Connacht Felim mac Cathal Crobderg Ua Conchobair established the Dominican Friary i.e. of the Blackfriars. Tighernan O-Rourke later restored it in its current configuration after it was mistakenly burned down in 1414. After the battle of Credran Cille in 1257 A.D. at Ros Ceite, the Norman march was quickly stopped in Sligo. The Normans, however, had by then established a foundation that would endure. According to a study, the town had 180 burgesses in 1289 A.D. The town stands out among Irish towns since it is the only one created by the Normans that was yet virtually continuously ruled by native Irish people during the Middle Ages. It became the governmental hub of the Gaelic-Dynasty Confederation despite Anglo-Norman attempts to reclaim it. According to the Irish chronicles, Sligo was destroyed, ravaged or besieged 49 times during the mediaeval era due to rivalry between Gaelic rulers for the rich port tolls. Since the town and port had become more significant by the middle of the 15th century, it appears that these raids had minimal impact on the growth of the town. Trade was conducted with France, Spain, Bristol and Galway. Sligo remained under Gaelic rule until the late 16th century, when it was chosen as the county town for the newly formed County of Sligo during the Elizabethan occupation! [Information-Credit : Sligo, Wikipedia] [image-Credit : Sligo_Abbey, Wikipedia] [Image : Sligo Abbey, Dominican Order] [The Image was taken from the Commons of the Flickr; The uploading organization may have various reasons for determining that no known copyright restrictions exist, such as: 1. The copyright is in the public domain because it has expired; 2. The copyright was injected into the public domain for other reasons, such as failure to adhere to required formalities or conditions; 3. The institution owns the copyright but is not interested in exercising control; or 4. The institution has legal rights sufficient to authorize others to use the work without restrictions] (Please Relate to Source Image-URL for more Image Usage Property) ; [Source Image-URL : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Abbey,_Sligo_aka_Dominican_Friary_(8671560382).jpg ]
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