Lissadell House

Top choice


The imposing ancestral home of the Gore-Booth family is one of Sligo's top sights. Revolutionary nationalist and socialist Constance Goore-Booth (Countess Markievicz) grew up here and WB Yeats used to frequently drop by. The extensive grounds include a gorgeous walled alpine garden that boasts sea views. A 45-minute guided tour leads through the house's grand guest rooms and the servants' quarters.

Take the N15 from Sligo to Drumcliff, head along the L3305 through Carney and follow the signs.

In 1918 Countess Markievicz was the first woman elected to the British House of Commons. The tour winds through the rooms she grew up in: the anteroom, drawing room, dining room, billiard room and basement (where the kitchens were), but as it is a home in use, the upstairs rooms are inaccessible. For a cheaper ticket, you can explore the exhibition in the coach house and the grounds, but it's the house, restored at great cost by the current owners, that's worth seeing.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Gortarowey Forest Recreation Area

3.65 MILES

The best way to walk around within the shadow of Benbulben is by visiting this area within Benbulben Forest. There are three trails: the looped longer…

2. Yeats' Grave

3.72 MILES

Yeats was long believed to be buried next to the doorway of Drumcliff Parish Church, but recent evidence suggests that the bones shipped here from France…

3. Streedagh Strand

4.37 MILES

Curving, dune-backed, 3km-long Streedagh Strand occasionally sees parts of the Spanish Armada washing up on its shores from three wrecks offshore: La…

4. Knocknarea Cairn

5.86 MILES

Sligo's ultimate rock pile sits atop a magical mountain hike. Knocknarea Cairn is popularly believed to be the grave of legendary Queen Maeve (Queen Mab…

5. Michael Quirke's Studio

6.65 MILES

Don’t miss a chat with woodcarver, raconteur and local legend Michael Quirke as he hand-carves his wooden creations. Opening times can vary, so take a…

6. Yeats Memorial Building

6.68 MILES

In a pretty setting in a former 1895 bank, the WB Yeats Exhibition has details of his life, draft manuscripts and special summer programs. Admission…

7. Hyde Bridge

6.68 MILES

This central stone bridge spanning the River Garavogue was built in 1845. It was originally named after Queen Victoria, then re-named after the first…

8. WB Yeats Statue

6.69 MILES

Erected in 1989, this abstract statue of Yeats – with broken glasses – in front of the 1863 Ulster Bank (a building he admired) is the source of much…