The Coolera Peninsula () is a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

in Sligo Bay,

County Sligo County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local au ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. It is the most populous of County Sligo's peninsulas, and the second-largest by land area. The primary population centres on Coolera are the coastal town of Strandhill on its western shore, and Magheraboy, a suburb of Sligo town. The peninsula is characterised by a vast network of

Megalithic A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

and

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several par ...

tombs, cairns and ringforts spread out across its landscape. The Carrowmore Megalithic Complex dates back to the

4th millennium BC The 4th millennium BC spanned the years 4000 BC to 3001 BC. Some of the major changes in human culture during this time included the beginning of the Bronze Age and the invention of writing, which played a major role in starting recorded histor ...

, and is one of the largest megalithic complexes in Ireland. The 30,000-tonne tomb of Queen Médb, known as Miosgán Médhbh, sits atop

Knocknarea Knocknarea (; ) is a large prominent hill west of Sligo town in County Sligo, Ireland, with a height of . Knocknarea is visually striking as it has steep limestone cliffs and stands on the Cúil Irra peninsula overlooking the Atlantic coast. A ...

mountain and is clearly visible from much of northern Sligo, making it one of the county's most recognisable landmarks. Taken together, Sligo County Council has applied for this network of ancient monuments to be recognised as a UNESCO

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

. In contrast to its ancient history, the peninsula's main settlement, Strandhill, was only established in the 20th century. Prior to this, locals settled inland due to the persistence of windblown sand along the coastal areas. In 1895

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

-native Benjamin Murrow bought up land on the west coast of Coolera. In an attempt to attract visitors to the area, he constructed a road from the inland village to the sea, and had built a bathhouse and a hotel by 1913. This road, which ran uphill from the beach strand to the village, gave the town its name, Strandhill. Today, the town is one of Sligo's top tourist destinations, and contains many hotels, bars, surf schools and a golf course. Construction of the National Surf Centre of Excellence started in the town in 2019. The 20th century saw the westward growth of Sligo town, and the suburban area of Magheraboy is also located on the Coolera Peninsula. The R292 road loops around the coastline of the peninsula, and connects Strandhill to Sligo town and Ballysadare.

Places of interest

*Ballysadare Bay Natural Heritage Area * Carrowmore Megalithic Complex *Cloverhill Megalthic Chamber *

Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to th ...

*Cullenamore Beach * Killaspugbrone Ruins *

*Lisheen House *Maguins Island *Marian Shrine * Miosgán Médhbh *The Nun's Beach *Rathcarrick Wood *Rinn Ringforts *Seafield House *Seaweed Baths * Sligo Airport *Strandhill Beach *Strandhill Golf Club *Strandhill People's Market

Gallery

File:County Sligo - Carrowmore Passage Tomb - 20190917134911.jpg, Carrowmore Passage Tomb File:County Sligo - Queen Maeves Tomb Knocknarea - 20190914200442.jpg, Knocknarea File:The Glen, Sligo in the summer.jpg, The Glen File:Coney island from knocknarea 01.png, Coney Island File:It S Mine (43244754).jpeg, Surfer at Strandhill File:Maeve's Cairn - geograph.org.uk - 1880.jpg, Queen Méabh's Cairn File:Strandhill Ireland.jpg, Strandhill Beach File:Strandhill (1).jpg, Dunes at Strandhill Golf Club File:Sligo-runway-with-mountain.jpg, Sligo Airport

References

{{Peninsulas of Ireland Geography of County Sligo Landforms of County Sligo History of County Sligo Beaches of County Sligo Surfing locations in Ireland Peninsulas of the Republic of Ireland

Places of interest

Gallery

See also

References