Opinions: Sligo

As I was thinking up new ideas for blog posts, my friend provided a very interesting idea I hadn't thought of before. He suggested I give my view of what it's like to be a young person in Sligo. This may not be relatable to all of my readers but I thought it may still be an interesting insight to see how it compares to other places in Ireland, or indeed in other countries.

I'm born and raised in Sligo - despite getting an interrogation every time I sign my surname ("That's not an Irish name. Where are you from?" "Er..Sligo." "But where are you from originally?" "Sligo.") 

For this blog I decided to get other people's opinions - sort of like a poll.

For the most part, I like Sligo. We're blessed with beautiful scenery and historic attractions, which I think a lot of us can forget from time to time as we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life.

In other areas, I believe Sligo is a little lacking. Unfortunately due to the current economic climate many shops have had to close, thus leaving Sligo's shopping scene a little barren. There are plenty of footwear and sports stores, but I find affordable clothing hard to find in Sligo. We are lucky to have quite a few charity shops, but I'm sure I'm not alone in saying a H&M, New Look or Bershka would be a welcome addition to the town. I think cheaper shops would be better tailored toward a lot of people's budgets and the student population. I also think our Penneys would greatly benefit from a revamp, newer stock being added more frequently and a second floor (I know, I'm being greedy now).

We're quite lucky that we're spoilt for choice in terms of food, with everything from Chinese to Italian to Mexican food. However, again, I can't help wishing for more affordable places that don't just do fast food. If you're on a budget, some of my favourite affordable, good quality places to eat are as follows: Chapters on Bridge Street, Swagman Bar on Wine Street, Casa Mia on Tobergal Lane and Grappa on Rockwood Parade. If you're after fast food of course we have Four Lights, Roberto's and Zam Zam's (best kebabs ever, they're the size of a small child). I'm still mourning the loss of our Burger King and McDonald's - they're seriously missing out not putting it back in the town centre. And we don't even have a Starbucks. 

As we have Sligo IT and Sligo College Of Further Education, student nightlife is plentiful, so no complaints there - although I do think nights out can get so expensive here. My favourites are Fifth On Teeling (I did a review about it here), Swagman Bar and Velvet Rooms. Shenanigans is also good for student deals.

One thing I find quite disappointing is the lack of clubs for young people. We have the Crib, which is for younger people, but nothing really for people in my age group. Unless you're sporty (which I'm not, unless eating is a sport) or artsy (I can barely tell a pen from a pencil), you're pretty much out of luck. I think a cookery/baking club, a photography club or even just a youth group type of thing would benefit a lot of people in the town, especially now summer is here and a few of us are just sitting at home twiddling our thumbs.

Anyways, you're probably sick of me rambling and ranting all the time, so here's what others had to say about Sligo:

"There's not much to do, everywhere you go there's a pub or a club. Most of the population are alcoholics. What Sligo needs to do is open an adventure centre that caters to all ages, a skate park or a bowling alley." 

I also agree we need something like an adventure centre or a bowling alley - aside from the cinema, there isn't much else you can do in terms of activities.

"We like rural Sligo - there's lots to do, tranquil walks, quiet pubs and friendly people - but we don't go into Sligo town too often."

"I think Sligo is good for a lot of different sports clubs and social clubs but there should be more going on in the town such as more festivals."

"Good pubs (Shenanigans, The Brewery), some good clothes shops (Penneys, River Island) and places to eat such as Supermacs and Limoncello - but I hate the traffic." (My friend, a Donegal native, said this. Then again in Donegal a traffic jam is a few sheep and a tractor.)

"From a daytime perspective there aren't many facilities that aren't sports related. Not the broadest range of shops either. That being said there are some great restaurants and nightlife such as Fifth On Teeling and T&C's, no shortage of live acts and fairly good prices. It's also close to the sea which is nice."

"There's not much to do but I like the Penneys!" - Bethany's sister (thanks Megan).

So that's about it. Hopefully if we ever get out of this rough patch with the recession Sligo will continue to evolve and improve. Until then, if anyone has any comments on this or even things you like to do in Sligo, I'd be more than happy to hear them.