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ROSSES POINT |
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Leaving Sligo along the coast to the north, almost immediately you
have the option of a short detour to ROSSES POINT (bus #480 from Sligo),
around five miles north of town. This (or Strandhill ) is the place to
go for a day at the beach , a perfect picture-postcard scene, with the
streaks of Coney Island and its neighbour Oyster Island guarding the
entrance to the bay and the distinctive beauty of Knocknarea and
Benbulben standing behind. A sea marker called the Metal Man marks the
deepest part of the channel for Sligo-bound boats; placed there in 1822,
it was called by Yeats the "Rosses Point man who never told a lie". The
tip of the headland, Deadman's Point , took its name from a sailor who
was buried at sea here with a loaf of bread thoughtfully provided by his
comrades - they weren't sure whether he was really dead but wanted to
despatch him quickly so they could make port before the tide turned.
Today Rosses Point Blue Flag beach is good for swimming and for
reflecting on the works of Jack B. Yeats, W.B.'s brother, who painted
the scene here on many occasions.
There are a few hotels , including the imposing Yeats Country Hotel (tel
071/77211; over £130/¬165.07), which looks out across the Atlantic, and
lots of B&Bs , too: try Oyster View (tel 071/77201;
£40-55/¬50.79-69.84), pleasantly situated overlooking the bay, or the
inexpensive Allesley (tel 071/43781; £26-33/¬33.01-41.90). You can camp
at Rosses Point Caravan and Camping Park (Easter to mid-Sept; tel
071/77113). For seafood, head for Austie's Bar & Restaurant (tel
071/77111).
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