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Sligo - the anonymous county

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  • 25-07-2007 11:45am
    #1
    sligobhoy67
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,401 ✭✭✭


    The "things I like about Sligo" thread got me thinking. I voted - "i've seen better" - simply because I have seen better, and in true Sligonian style I put my own down whilst always considering the best of outsiders - its a famous trait of people from the town (and I assume those from the county).

    The thing is I dont live is Sligo anymore and because of my "really townie accent" (as its would be described in Sligo - on the flip side people not from Ireland love it) I always get asked a certain question -

    Queastioner - where are you from in Ireland (possibly prefaced by "my mums from Cork" or "I've been to Dublin, do you know Temple Bar?" -

    Me - obviously I proudly state - "Sligo!"

    Q. - followed by a puzzled look from the questioner and a slight tilt of their head

    Me - then I clarify it by saying "its in the north west of the country"

    Q. oh! in Northern Ireland? - is the usual reply to that

    Me - (as a fervent republican thinking to myself "theres only one Ireland and dont be splittin us up, mate" but remembering that not everyone is as obsessed with the nomenclature of this twisted island and reply) "no just to the left of that".

    Q. - oh, it must be lovely (really meaning I never heared of that boghole)

    Me. - it is! (really meaning - there more to Ireland than temple bar)


    Now I have had that conversation literally 100's of times and it never surprises me. People know Mayo, Galway and Donegal but when you mention Sligo they've never heard of it. To that I propose my thesis "Sligo is another Carlow an anonymous county"

    Anyone had the same experience or disagree or even better can explain why its so low profile?

    p.s. forgive my spelling!


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    #2
    slavigo
    Registered Users Posts: 85 ✭✭slavigo


    I know a lot of effort is made to show Sligo to the rest of the country, I remember a lot of Dublin buses going around with Sligo adverts on them not so long ago (not sure about outside the country though).

    I know exactly where your coming from with regard to Sligo and explaining where your from. I get that the whole time.

    I think the effort going on is a good thing but maybe we've just come to the table a little to late in the day and now that so many other places are well established we'll just have to take the trickle and gradually build up our reputation from there.

    We'll get there!
    We should start a campaign.
    Sligo; the next Galway/Westport!


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    #3
    Gillie
    Registered Users Posts: 3,640 ✭✭✭Gillie


    sligobhoy67 wrote:
    The "thing I like about Sligo" thread got me thinking. I voted - "i;ve seen better" - simply because I have and in true Sligonian style I put my own down whilst always considering the best of outsiders - its a famous trait of people from the town (and I assume those from the county).

    The thing is I dont live is Sligo anyway and because of my "really townie accent" (as its would be described in Sligo - on the flip side people not from Ireland love it) I always get asked -

    Queastioner - where are you from in Ireland (possibly prefaced by "my mums from Cork" or "I've been to Dublin, do you know Temple Bar?" -
    Me - obviously I proudly state - "Sligo!"

    Q. - followed by a puzzled look from the questioner

    Me - then I clarify in the north west of the country

    Q. oh! in Northern Ireland?

    Me - (as a fervent republican thinking to myself "theres only one Ireland" but remebering that not everyone is as obsessed with the nomenclature of this twisted island and reply) no just to the left of that.

    Q. - oh, it must be lovely (really meaning I never hears of that boghole)

    Me. - it is! (really meaning - there more to Ireland than temple bar)


    Now I have had that conversation literally 100's of times and it never surprises me. People know Mayo, Sligo and Donegal when you mention them but never Sligo. To that I proposed me thesis "Sligo is another Carlow an anonymous county"

    Anyone had the same experience or disagree or even better can explain why its so low profile?

    p.s. forgive my spelling!


    :eek: Have never had that problem!
    Thats just poor geography knowledge!


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    #4
    Gillie
    Registered Users Posts: 3,640 ✭✭✭Gillie


    slavigo wrote:
    Sligo; the next Galway/Westport!

    How about Westport - the next Sligo!?


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    #5
    slavigo
    Registered Users Posts: 85 ✭✭slavigo


    Gillie wrote:
    How about Westport - the next Sligo!?

    What if we aimed for something in between.
    We've plenty of culture going on around the town. We just need a few more people to come and appreciate it. (Maybe a little more trad in the auld pubs wouldn't go astray either).

    Actually having thought more about it. Maybe we shouldn't follow everyone else. How about we build upon what we have and over time that will bring it's own rewards.


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    #6
    Gillie
    Registered Users Posts: 3,640 ✭✭✭Gillie


    slavigo wrote:
    What if we aimed for something in between.
    We've plenty of culture going on around the town. We just need a few more people to come and appreciate it. (Maybe a little more trad in the auld pubs wouldn't go astray either).

    Actually having thought more about it. Maybe we shouldn't follow everyone else. How about we build upon what we have and over time that will bring it's own rewards.

    Agreed.
    The pub scene definately needs looking at! Westport has us there!


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    #7
    genie
    Registered Users Posts: 975 ✭✭✭genie


    I've had that conversation umpteen times. I've just spent a year in the UK and whilst most of the people I asked if they had been to Ireland, had been, none had been north of a line running from Dublin across to Galway. The majority had been to Cork/Kerry. None had heard of Knock Airport and that you could fly there from Stanstead etc. I didn't mention Sligo Airport because it wasn't doing an international route at that time. Hopefully the Sligo-Manchester route will improve things.


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    #8
    sligobhoy67
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,401 ✭✭✭sligobhoy67


    genie wrote:
    I've had that conversation umpteen times. I've just spent a year in the UK and whilst most of the people I asked if they had been to Ireland, had been, none had been north of a line running from Dublin across to Galway. The majority had been to Cork/Kerry. None had heard of Knock Airport and that you could fly there from Stanstead etc. I didn't mention Sligo Airport because it wasn't doing an international route at that time. Hopefully the Sligo-Manchester route will improve things.

    I live in Manc - have done for years -the new flights has brought one of my brothers over here that has never been over before (delighted to see the long lanky git over) but still no one knows Sligo - but a few people have commented about the "seaweed baths" because they are mentioned on the ad's that have been running on Manc radio.


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    #9
    il gatto
    Registered Users Posts: 3,021 ✭✭✭il gatto


    The problem Sligo has is that it has never been marketed properly. When you see some of those vibrant ads for mayo and Donegal, full of kite surfing, galloping along beaches and lively trad sessions and drinking coupled to a catchy rock tune and compare it to Sligo's wishy washy ad with a view of the Garavogue that could be Ennis/Athlone/Mullingar for all many people know, with twee reciting of a Yeats poem actually written about Glencar in Co. Leitrim, it's easy to see why it's not high on people's list of destinations.
    As much as I love Sligo, and always recommend it to people for a holiday, it has serious problems. Even on a weekend night, finding any sort of live music is a problem, never mind on a weeknight. the town, with a few exceptions, is like a ghost town. I'd be very disappointed if I came to Sligo for a week during the summer, only to find that only Fiddlers and McHughs were busy on Friday, and that the rest of the town was only busy on Saturdays.
    Strandhill is much livelier, but a small place like Strandhill isn't enough to sell a whole county on.
    Also, Sligo hasn't really worked on creating a true central area for socialising(a laShop St./Quay St. in Galway). The river is almost that, but really there's two pubs and two nightclubs. Everything else is spread out and O'Connell Street is an ugly embarrassment which is quite eery to walk down after dark nowadays.
    I really think that Sligo GAA's high profile in recent years has brought the county into people's conciousness' nationally. Just being mentioned more often on T.V. helps.
    Overall though, I think Sligo is certainly more high profile than Carlow or Laois for example.


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    #10
    magnumlady
    Registered Users Posts: 3,659 ✭✭✭magnumlady


    Almost all the people I have spoken to have never heard of Sligo. I was on the phone to UTV yesterday and had to spell Sligo out to the girl, then she asked for a postcode!
    I usually mention WB Yeats (then when I get a blank look, I mention Westlife).


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    #11
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭peasant


    Shush ...it's fine the way it is.

    I had the displeasure of living in Dingle town for a few months a good few years ago ...I tell you, being swamped with visitors and tourists is no fun at all (especially if you're not in a postition to fleece them:D ).

    Sligo being quiet as it is at least offers all its amenities to the locals without having to fight your way through hordes of tourists.

    Ok ...the town could be a bit livelier, but I like the countryside just the way it is.


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    #12
    Gillie
    Registered Users Posts: 3,640 ✭✭✭Gillie


    peasant wrote:
    Shush ...it's fine the way it is.

    I had the displeasure of living in Dingle town for a few months a good few years ago ...I tell you, being swamped with visitors and tourists is no fun at all (especially if you're not in a postition to fleece them:D ).

    Sligo being quiet as it is at least offers all its amenities to the locals without having to fight your way through hordes of tourists.

    Ok ...the town could be a bit livelier, but I like the countryside just the way it is.

    Agreed!


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    #13
    sligobhoy67
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,401 ✭✭✭sligobhoy67


    Its a joke that Sligo doesnt have a music/concert type venue that could put on a show for a somewhere between 500 and a few thousand people.

    Geographically Sligo is the only town of a substantial size for about 80 miles radius, the catchment area is large yet we have no decent venue.


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    #14
    il gatto
    Registered Users Posts: 3,021 ✭✭✭il gatto


    Alot of big acts play in Castlebar but never come to Sligo. It's a real shame. Maybe the Clarance will put that right when it opens.


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    #15
    Gillie
    Registered Users Posts: 3,640 ✭✭✭Gillie


    Have they built a decent size venue there?
    There is a massive hole in the market there.

    The place on Markievicz Road is closed a while.
    Was that place any good!?


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    #16
    sligobhoy67
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,401 ✭✭✭sligobhoy67


    il gatto wrote:
    Alot of big acts play in Castlebar but never come to Sligo. It's a real shame. Maybe the Clarance will put that right when it opens.

    the clarence site is too small - its needs to be out of town - the ideal spot would have been in conjunction with the retail complex on pearse road - it could have utilised the parking facilities in the evening and nighttime when the other units were closed - a perfect marrige and usually works well in venues I have seen in England


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    #17
    il gatto
    Registered Users Posts: 3,021 ✭✭✭il gatto


    The Clarence has been extended out the back. I heard it'll hold about 200 people. I also heard that MCD are involved, so it might get decent acts and promotion.
    I don't know if an out of town venue would work in Sligo. Sligo is very much biased towards the town center. That Go Kart track and the Bowling Alley didn't benefit from being away from the town center, and even Smiths toyshop is deserted most of the time.
    The place on Markievicz Road was nice, but they made some mistakes. For one, they didn't get a late licence, meaning gigs started early and finished early. Another was the quality of acts dropped after the first few months.


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