In Riverstown, living history, traditional music and a riverside trail come together. Sligo Folk Park offers a self-guided audio tour through six acres of living history. The James Morrison Teach Cheoil houses archival material on James Morrison’s traditional music heritage. The Riverstown Heritage Trail runs along the banks of the River Unshin. These different themes give you concrete points of reference for considering Riverstown as a travel destination.
History at Sligo Folk Park
At Sligo Folk Park, The Street recreates an Irish village street, with shops, services and everyday life in a small Irish village as it was around a hundred years ago. The focus here is on community life. Millview House offers a different perspective: the carefully restored stone house dates from the 18th century. The McGee Building explores rural crafts and traditions. An extensive collection of authentic artefacts and footage from the popular television series “Hands” illustrates these themes.
The exhibits therefore offer different ways of exploring rural history: a reconstructed village street, a single historic stone house, and a collection about crafts and traditions. The self-guided audio tour provides the framework for a visit around the six acres. If you are interested in a particular aspect of everyday life, each exhibit lets you focus on different details.
Music, riverside and getting your bearings
The James Morrison Teach Cheoil is on the access road to Riverstown Community Park. Its archival material is dedicated to James Morrison’s traditional music heritage. Alongside the exhibits at the Folk Park, the archive broadens Riverstown’s cultural focus to include music history.
The Riverstown Heritage Trail runs along the banks of the River Unshin. Historical features are marked by signs along the entire route. Check locally before setting out to see whether the signs are available; conditions by the river and on the trail can vary. The trail thus brings together the riverside landscape and the historical themes marked along the route, while the Folk Park offers a different way to explore history through its exhibits and audio tour.
At Sligo Folk Park, Millstone Café & Deli serves freshly prepared food and drinks for consumption on the premises or to take away. Menus and service details may change.
More to explore in County Sligo
County Sligo also offers other cultural and landscape themes. Carrowmore is Ireland’s largest and oldest group of Neolithic tombs: more than 30 surviving monuments date back almost 6,000 years. Sligo Abbey is a Dominican priory with extensive surviving medieval remains of its church, sacristy and chapter house. The two sites offer different perspectives on history and heritage.
Streedagh Beach in County Sligo offers another perspective. The three-kilometre sandy beach connects Streedagh Point with Connor’s Island; sand dunes and an estuary are home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. Surfing and windsurfing are possible in the coastal waters, while stand-up paddleboarding takes place in the sheltered estuary. Check sea conditions before taking part. Mullaghmore Head in County Sligo has a well-known surf spot and a coastal walking route; you should also check local conditions before walking there.
For trips on the water, Enniscrone Boat Tours offers RIB safaris, one- and two-hour boat trips, and half- or full-day sea safaris in Killala Bay, departing from Enniscrone Pier. The different options help you choose between a shorter trip and a longer excursion.
Discover more destinations: Carney, Derrybeg, Streedagh, Sligo, Aclare, Collooney, Cliffony, Ballymote.
For the broader travel overview: County Sligo.
