Sligo Castle facts for kids

Sligo Castle (or Caisleán Sligigh in Irish) was a very important castle built a long time ago in 1245. It was built in Sligo Town in the west of Ireland. This castle was built by the Normans, who were powerful people from France who came to Ireland. Today, the castle is gone, but it played a big role in the history of western Ireland. We know about it because it's mentioned many times in old history books called "annals."

Where Was Sligo Castle?

The exact spot where Sligo Castle once stood is not completely clear today. Many people think it was built where the Town Hall on Quay Street is now. There is an old painting from 1688 by a military surveyor that shows the area.

Some old ruins nearby are known as Castle Connor. It's possible that Sligo Castle and Castle Connor are the same place. Some historians believe that Castle Connor was rebuilt on the original Sligo Castle site in 1520 by a person named Connor O'Dowd. However, it's also possible they were two different castles built in different places. The history of this area can be a bit tricky to figure out!

The Castle's Story

Sligo Castle was built during a time when the King of England had a representative in Ireland called a "justiciar." This justiciar was Maurice Fitzgerald, a powerful Norman baron and warrior.

Maurice Fitzgerald first planned for a hospital to be built on the site. He gave the land to a clergyman named Clarus MacMailenn. Building materials were even gathered for the hospital. But then, Fitzgerald changed his mind! He was very powerful, so he ordered that a castle be built instead. He wanted to make sure the Normans had a strong base in the area.

He even ordered Fedlim O'Conchobar, who was the King of Connacht at the time, to build the castle. Fedlim had to pay for it himself. He also had to use the stones and lime that were meant for the hospital. Maurice Fitzgerald then used this new castle as a base to invade a nearby area called Tir Conaill (which is now County Donegal).

An old historical record, called the "Annals of Connacht," tells us about this in 1245: "The castle of Sligo was built by Mac Muiris FitzGerald, Justiciar of Ireland... Fedlim O Conchobair was bidden to build it at his own cost and to take the stones and lime of the spital house of the Trinity for the building..."

Later, in the 1530s, a local Irish family called the O'Conors Sligo held the castle. However, they were usually under the control of another powerful family, the O'Donnells. The O'Donnells were princes of Tyrconnell, and they originally owned the castle and the land around it, called Carbury in Sligo.

After a big event in Irish history called the 1641 rebellion, a stone fort was built on the castle's site. In 1691, during a siege (when an army surrounds a place to try and capture it), soldiers described the castle as "the crazie castle." This probably meant it was old and not in very good shape anymore.