Heritage Sites Seanad Éireann — 2026-04-22 ============================================================ Nessa Cosgrove (LAB), Labour Panel Sligo Abbey has been described as the jewel in Sligo's heritage crown. Located in the heart of the town, the history of the abbey is the history of Sligo, both being founded in the mid-13th century. Built by the FitzGeralds, the centre of spiritual life was rebuilt following an accidental fire in 1414. Surviving the destructive reforms of Henry VIII and Elizabethan settlement, the abbey was abandoned following its desecration by the Cromwellian forces but it continued to serve as a place of burial for the people of Sligo. Its graves bear witness to the cholera epidemic of 1832 before finally being closed to burials in 1847 at the height of the Famine. The building retains a wealth of features from different eras, a rich diversity of architectural and sculptural styles surpassing much on view in other heritage sites. The quality of the offering means a record 45,603 people visited Sligo Abbey in 2025, up 33% on the year before, making the abbey County Sligo's most visited heritage site. Despite this attraction, it closes from the end of December until the middle of March each year. This causes disruption to the rhythm of the year as well as to the staff team who must either sign on for the period or find alternative employment. This has resulted in experienced and talented guides finding employment elsewhere. The national tourism strategy, A New Era for Irish Tourism, explicitly prioritises the extension of the tour season and developing less mature regional destinations. Increasing year-round tourism is the number one objective in the Fáilte Ireland destination and experience development plan for Sligo. The nearest comparable town-centre, OPW-managed site in the region is Donegal Castle, which operates year-round. Donegal has seen domestic tourism growth of 176% over the past decade compared with 47% in Sligo over the same period. This illustrates what can be done. Year-round opening has played a part in Donegal's success and is one that could easily be replicated in Sligo immediately and at very little cost. The record-breaking visitor number from last year was achieved without capital investment or facility upgrades. None are required to facilitate year-round opening. The heating has to stay on in the visitor centre year-round to prevent damage whether the attraction is open or not. Laying off staff and paying jobseeker's allowance for two and a half months each year rather than wages they want to earn means savings achieved are minimal. The marginal cost of keeping a small core staff in place is low and the benefits to the town centre economy, particularly on Sundays and Mondays when other town attractions are closed, is disproportionately high. Sligo County Council has indicated its support for year-round opening. Just last month, my Labour Party colleague, Councillor Ann Higgins, was fully backed by all council members in a motion to provide for year-round opening. The local authority has invested in a coach parking bay outside the entrance of the abbey. The abbey features in the county council's new AI itinerary tool. It is the first of its kind in the country. Sligo Abbey features prominently in it. The record number achieved last year was the culmination of ten years' hard work on the part of the heritage professionals on the ground. The overall number has trebled from around 15,000 ten years ago. Will the Minister of State take the steps required to ensure Sligo Abbey can be open for visitors year-round? It is a reasonable request. It is fully backed by Sligo BID, a business community, and the Sligo local authority. It would pay dividends in the cultural, social and economic impact it will have on our town. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-04-22/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:50+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-04-22