Sligo, Ireland

Sligo Sligeach
Town
Clockwise from top: View of Garavogue River along JFK Parade, Sligo Abbey, IT Sligo Main Entrance, Clarion Hotel, City Hall, Glasshouse Hotel.
Sligo Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 54°16′00″N 8°29′00″W / 54.2667°N 8.4833°W / 54.2667; -8.4833Coordinates: 54°16′00″N 8°29′00″W / 54.2667°N 8.4833°W / 54.2667; -8.4833
Country	Ireland
Province	Connacht
County	County Sligo
Dáil Éireann	Sligo–Leitrim
EU Parliament	Midlands–North-West
Area
• Total	12.9 km2 (5.0 sq mi)
Elevation	13 m (43 ft)
Population (2014)	19,452
• Demonym	Sligonian
Irish Grid Reference	G685354
Dialing code	+353 71
Website	www.sligoborough.ie

Sligo (Irish: Sligeach, meaning "abounding in shells" — /ˈslaɪɡoʊ/ SLY-goh; Irish pronunciation: [ˈɕlʲɪɟəx]) is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2014, it is the second largest urban centre in the West of Ireland, with only Galway being larger. The Sligo Borough District constitutes 61% (38,581) of the county's population of 63,000.

Sligo is a historic, cultural, commercial, industrial, retail and service centre of regional importance in the West of Ireland. Served by rail, port and road links, Sligo exerts a significant influence on its hinterland. Sligo is also a popular tourist destination, being situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty, with many literary and cultural associations.

Sligo is the anglicisation of the Irish name Sligeach, meaning "abounding in shells" or "shelly place". It refers to the abundance of shellfish found in the river and its estuary, and from the extensive shell middens in the vicinity. The river now known as the Garavogue (Irish: An Gharbhóg) meaning "little rough one" was originally called the Sligeach. It is listed as one of the seven "royal rivers" of Ireland in the 9th century AD tale The Destruction of Da Dergas Hostel. The river Slicech is also referenced in the Annals of Ulster in 1188.