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Some of our favourite cafés, pubs, beaches and swim spots

We absolutely love Sligo, and I’ve been going there since I was a kid. As a family we always felt like we were going home when we arrived on our holidays, counting down the towns and villages till we got to our destination. We still feel the pull to go back as often as we can get there.
A couple of years ago, my late Uncle Eddie started to do some family research and discovered (to our delight) that on my Dad’s side, were road builders from Sligo going back a few generations! I love how that has stayed with us through the generations.
With our love of Sligo in mind, we’ve put together this mini travel guide. We have three dogs as you may know, so many of the places will be pup friendly! We also found an absolute gem of an Air BnB that we’ll definitely be back to.

Beaches & a secret swim spot
There are some absolute stunning beaches in Sligo. We were staying in the North of the county, so most of the beaches we went to this time are around there. Our favourites are:
Dunmoran Strand – it never gets too busy and has some of the most incredible sunsets from the car park. There are also a few benches facing the horizon. We went for a paddle but there are strong currents, so take care.
Aughris Head – This is a gorgeous beach and great for a swim or surf. The Beach Bar is there too and great for a pint of stout.
Poll Gorm at Easkey – a natural tidal pool with man-made wall added in the sixties to allow for a bit more depth, and to hold the water for longer – the brain-child of Doctor Walter McGuire. It’s a place many local people go to for a cure or simply to learn to swim, and I have one friend who swims there every day of the year. It is my favourite place to swim. It has all the wildness of the Atlantic, with waves often crashing just a few meters away, but with the more stable pool – just amazing. The coast line here is also covered in fossils, literally every few steps…
Enniscrone Beach – A really well known beach in the area, but massive especially at low tide. We love it here as the dogs can run wild would you mention the increase in dogs-on-leads signs here? A great spot for a swim too. Surfers love it here too, and it’s especially good for early and intermediate abilities.

Cafés, pubs & Restaurants
Sligo Town is a bit of a hot spot for food these days. There are some gems dotted around the county too and we took a lot of professional pleasure in trying out as many as possible… all in the name of research of course.
For really great coffee, check out Rover Coffee Lab, in Sligo town centre. This place served some of the best coffee we had on this trip.
We absolutely love Le Fournil in Sligo town. We even got all our Wedding cakes here (we opted of loads of different cakes, instead of one). This French patisserie serves incredible cakes, bread and award winning chocolate!
Stoked in Strandhill – now we haven’t been here yet, but we have hear it’s absolutely class! The menu looks amazing and anybody we know who has been says it’s off the charts amazing.
Austies in Rosses Point, just outside Sligo town, is a gem. Really fantastic restaurant with gorgeous sea views. The seafood options here are fantastic and the rest of the menu is great. Wonderful service every time and the pub is class, busting with character and it always seems to have a good crowd.
The Driftwood in Rosses Point – another gem in Rosses Point. The restaurant has a fantastic modern feel with a fresh menu and every time we’ve had food here has been a real treat.
Harry’s Bar – Probably one of our favourite bars in Ireland (we even got married there!). Stepping into Harry’s is like stepping into a warm hug. With its warm lighting and big smiles from the guys working there. The walls are covered with nautical pieces from fishing nets, there’s an actual well in the pub, and hammerhead shark skulls!! There is so much to take in and it’s all wonderful. The Guinness here is on point every single time. We genuinely love this place.
Tempo Café in Ballisodare – one of the highlights of the trip. The food is unreal. Its only our second time trying it out and each time was awesome. If you are in the area, we highly recommend it.
Hidden Gem: Fish & Bean – Rosses Point. A real hidden gem, found in the boat club at the far end of the village. This place serves incredible seafood and has just amazing views. Great buzz around the place – we love it.
Not in Sligo – we always drive home via Bundoran and Omagh and these places are always on the many pit stops:
Foam , Bundoran– just amazing coffee. The seasonal food menu looks fricking amazing too, but we are yet to try it. Coffee first always 
Buoys and Gulls – again, fantastic coffee and gorgeous shop! Right over-looking the ocean too.
The Kitchen, Omagh – This place! Honestly the food is off the charts amazing. The Sphinx burger and the smashed burger are the best burgers we have ever had. The tacos too are sublime. I can’t say enough about here. The food, interior, staff, service are all wonderful. One of our favourites anywhere, and we love owner Kate.

Where we stayed.
We stayed at this beautiful house between Sligo town and Easkey owned by Shelia. It has a gorgeous river running along side it and the house itself was brilliant. Big cast iron fire, a kitchen with everything you need, a big dinning space, comfy beds and dog friendly! It is close to the road and the front garden isn’t secure – so bear that in mind if you have dogs like ours. There is plenty of space at the back and the dogs just loved it.

You can check it out here.

Shelia is amazing and we have stayed in a few of her properties all around this area. We love them because they are dog friendly but all super clean and really well equipped. Sometimes dog friendly places can be a bit……rougher.

All of Shelia’s other places can be found here:

Location… Location…… Location…..

If you head to any of these spots please let us know, we’d love to hear what you think.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Take it easy, and get planning your next break,

– Michael

PS we aren’t being sponsored or anything, we just LOVE supporting other small businesses we believe in.