SLIGO, the assize town of the county, a considerable maritime town and parliamentary borough, first became a place of importance by the building of a castle there, in 1242, by Maurice Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare. Its consequence was increased by the subsequent foundation, in 1252, of a Dominican monastery; but its progress was afterwards much impeded by fires, and by the hostilities produced by the struggles for superiority between the English and the natives. It was incorporated and invested with the privileges of a parliamentary borough in 1613, and in 1621 obtained a charter of the staple. In the early period of the war of 1641, it was taken, without opposition, by the Parliamentarians, under Sir Charles Coote, who was afterwards attacked by a force collected by the Roman Catholic archbishop of Tuam, which retreated in consequence of an alarm being spread that a large force was approaching to relieve the town. When retiring they were attacked by the Parliamentarian forces; the archbishop was killed, and on his person was found the important document, exposing the secret communications which took place between Charles I. and the Irish Catholics. Coote subsequently evacuated the town, which thence continued in the possession of the Royalists till the termination of the war. In 1688 it declared in favour of King James, was taken for King William by the Enniskilleners, who, in turn, were driven out by General Sarsfield; but the place ultimately surrendered to the Earl of Granard. The town is situated in a very beautiful neighbourhood, on both sides of the mouth of the Garogue, where it discharges itself into the bay. The river is crossed by two bridges. The streets are narrow, winding, and irregularly built. Its public buildings are—two Protestant
Slingelandt churches, two Roman Catholic chapels, a Dominican friary, Presbyterian, Independent, and Methodist meeting-houses. The existing remains of the ancient monastery of Sligo still exhibit a fine specimen of early English architecture. Near its high altar is the tomb of the O'Connor Sligo, embellished with effigies. The town contains the county infirmary, the county jail, the county court-house, a custom-house, the county lunatic asylum, the union workhouse, cavalry barracks for a hundred men, and constabulary barracks. The markets are held on Tuesday and Saturday. Fairs are held four times in the year. The corporation, styled "the Mayor, Free Burgesses, and Commonality of the Borough of Sligo," consists of six aldermen and eighteen councillors. The paving, lighting, and other departments of the municipal police, are under the direction of the town and harbour commissioners. Previously to the union, the borough returned two members to parliament; subsequently the number was reduced to one, the right of franchise being vested in the mayor and twenty-seven burgesses and free-men, till the passing of the reform act, when it was extended to the L.10 householders, and is now enjoyed by occupiers rated in the last poor-rate at L.8. The number of electors is about 350. The assizes and sessions of the peace for the county are held here in the court-house, a small but elegant modern building, and petty sessions are likewise held weekly. The county prison is commodious, well arranged, and under a good system of discipline.
Sligo Bay, in its more extended bearings, stretches from Rinoran Point to Aughris Head, at its opening, a distance of about six miles, and is divided into three inlets, the central, largest, and deepest of which terminates at the town of Sligo. The entrance of this branch is screened from the violence of the ocean waves by two small islands, Oyster Island and Coney Island. There are three lighthouses at the mouth of the harbour. Across its main entrance is a bar, with but ten feet depth at low water. Though the entrance of ships of deep draught is thus prevented, yet vessels of 300 tons can come up to the quays in the turn of spring-tides. The trade of Sligo increased very considerably between 1800 and 1840, but it has been stationary for the last twenty years. The number of vessels registered as belonging to the port, on 31st Dec. 1858, was—sailing vessels, 34; tonnage 4524; steam-vessels, 3; tonnage 269. The total number of vessels that entered the port (including their repeated voyages) during that year was 378 vessels, of 51,399 tons (13, with 1830 tons, being foreign); that left, 333 vessels, of 45,960 tons (3, with 555 tons, being foreign). Of those that entered, 214 sailing vessels, of 12,928 tons, and 122 steam-vessels, of 30,443 tons; and of those that left, 197 sailing vessels, of 11,685 tons, and 125 steam-vessels, of 30,981 tons, were in the coasting or cross-channel trade. The revenue of customs and excise duties at various periods was as follows:—Customs—1802, L.14,690; 1810, L.15,133; 1821, L.26,083; 1830, L.39,438; 1835, L.33,703; 1854, L.20,010; 1858, L.22,732. Excise—1828, L.39,484; 1835, L.33,507; 1854, L.22,879; 1855, L.38,129; 1856, L.52,487; 1857, L.61,692; 1858, L.74,967.
The population of Sligo town was, in 1851, 11,104. There is not in the county another town containing 2000 inhabitants. Part of Ballina, called Ardnafee, with 533 inhabitants, is in this county, but the town is mainly in the adjoining county of Mayo. (II. s.—R.)