Sligo County Museum

The Sligo County Museum is a museum on Stephen Street housing archaeological artifacts, artworks, and historical objects representing the heritage of County Sligo across multiple exhibition spaces. The collections span different time periods and aspects of local history.

The museum was established in 1955 and occupies a former manse building from 1867 originally belonging to the Congregational Church of Sligo. The building itself reflects the architectural heritage of the period.

The Yeats Room displays manuscripts and photographs that document the poet W.B. Yeats and his connection to the region, along with works by Irish artists George Russell and Jack B. Yeats. The collection shows how important this writer and his artistic contemporaries were to local identity.

The museum is conveniently located in the city center and opens Tuesday through Saturday, with extended hours during summer months from May to September. Admission is free and visitors can explore the collection in about one to two hours.

The museum preserves a firkin of bog butter dating back over 100 years, demonstrating how people in Ireland stored food before modern refrigeration existed. This unusual object is a rare example of an ancient preservation method that few visitors expect to see.