Strandhill or occasionally Larass () is a coastal town and

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...

on the

Coolera Peninsula The Coolera Peninsula () is a peninsula in Sligo Bay, County Sligo, Ireland. 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 Strandhil ...

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 loc ...

, Ireland. , the population was 1,753, an increase of 10% from the 2011 Census. The old name appears to be Ros Dragnige (see Killaspugbrone).

History

It is suggested the development of Strandhill can be attributed to a Benjamin Murrow who purchased the undeveloped land from the upper road in 1895 for £1,760. He constructed a roadway to the sea for £1000, and offered plots either side of the roadway, which he named Buenos Ayres Drive. In 1912 he constructed a bathhouse to attract visitors. Buenos Ayres drive was conveyed into public ownership in 1928, and the strip of land to the shore in 1936.

Location

Strandhill is situated at the western base of

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 ...

on the Cúil Irra (Coolera) peninsula in

Sligo Bay Sligo Bay () is a natural ocean bay in County Sligo, Republic of Ireland. Geography Sligo Bay is opened between Aughris Head (South side) and Roskeeragh Point (North). The inner part of the bay is divided into three smaller bodies of water, h ...

, 5 miles west of

Sligo town Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') 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 2016, it is the largest urban c ...

, and faces the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Afr ...

. Although the main part of the village lies within the townland of Strandhill, it also extends into the townlands of Killaspugbrone and Carrowbunnaun. The area is well known for surfing, as well as walks.

Surrounding area

Strandhill's surrounding areas include the mountain of Knocknarea,

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 ...

, Culleenamore beach, and Dorrins Strand. Much of the terrain consists of

marram ''Ammophila'' (synonymous with ''Psamma'' P. Beauv.) is a genus of flowering plants consisting of two or three very similar species of grasses. The common names for these grasses include marram grass, bent grass, and beachgrass. These grasses ar ...

-covered dunes, and the local council has had to undertake various measures throughout the years to combat

coastal erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landwa ...

Amenities

Strandhill has a caravan park, pubs, restaurants/cafes, St Asicus National School, St Patrick's Church, St Annes Church of Ireland and the Strandhill surgery. The village has multiple hostels, the Ocean Wave Lodge, The Dunes Tavern and SurfnStay Lodge and Hostel. There is also the Strandhill Lodge and Suites, awarded by Tripadvisor as the third best hotel in Ireland and 13th in the world. The resort has a seaweed bath.

Recreation

Surfing

Strandhill is a vast beach break capable of holding huge waves in the right conditions. Surfing is usually best when the tide is on the push in from mid to high tide. While Strandhill's beach is renowned for surfing, it is not safe for swimming. The nearby strand at Culleenamore is suitable for paddling.

Sport

Strandhill has a soccer club named Strand Celtic and Sligo Rugby Football Club is based in Hamilton Park, where

tag rugby Tag-rugby belt Tag rugby, or flag rugby, is a non-contact team game in which each player wears a belt that has two velcro tags attached to it, or shorts with velcro patches. The mode of play is based on rugby league with many similarities to t ...

is also played. Coolera/Strandhill GAA club involves Strandhill and the neighbouring parish of Ransboro, and also field a

hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of pla ...

team. The local 18-hole golf course has been described as having "undulating fairways and unforgiving short cuts".

Places of interest

Dolly's Cottage, a 200-year-old traditional thatched cottage, is open to the public. The Klaus Gundchen sculpture on a plinth at the entrance to the beach was removed by the council on 22 February 2016. The Strandhill Peoples Market takes place at Sligo airport every Sunday. The market has stalls selling locally produced foods, textiles, and crafts. It has been nominated for the best new business in Sligo Leader Business Awards 2015 and also nominated for the best start up in the IBYE awards.

Annual events

The Culleenamore Races is an annual beach pony and horseracing event dating from the 1800s that takes place early in the summer The Warriors Run, a 15k race held annually since 1985, takes participants from the beach front in Strandhill around and then up the nearby

mountain, to the cairn at the top, and back again, as music and festivities takes over the town. The annual Strandhill Guitar Festival is held in late September.

Transport

Strandhill is the site of Sligo Airport, which opened in 1983. There is a regular bus service to Sligo town.

References

{{County Sligo Towns and villages in County Sligo Beaches of County Sligo Surfing locations in Ireland