Cúil Iorra | |
|---|---|
 Coolera Peninsula (Red) withinCounty Sligo | |
 Interactive map of Coolera Peninsula | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Ireland |
| Adjacent to | |
| Area | 48.1 km2 (18.6 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| County | Sligo |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 9,022 (2016[1]) |
| Pop. density | 187.6/km2 (485.9/sq mi) |
TheCoolera Peninsula (Irish:Cúil Iorra)[2] is apeninsula inSligo 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 ofStrandhill on its western shore, and Magheraboy, a suburb ofSligo town.
The peninsula is characterised by a vast network ofMegalithic andNeolithic tombs, cairns and ringforts spread out across its landscape. TheCarrowmore Megalithic Complex dates back to the4th millennium BC, and is one of the largest megalithic complexes in Ireland. The 30,000-tonne tomb ofQueen Médb, known asMiosgán Médhbh, sits atopKnocknarea mountain and is clearly visible from much of northern Sligo. Taken together,Sligo County Council has applied for this network of ancient monuments to be recognised as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[3]
In contrast to its ancient history, the peninsula's main settlement, Strandhill, was only established in the 20th century. Prior to this, locals settled inland due to the persistence of windblown sand along the coastal areas. In 1895,Belfast-native Benjamin Murrow bought up land on the west coast of Coolera. In an attempt to attract visitors to the area, he constructed a road from the inland village to the sea, and had built a bathhouse and a hotel by 1913. This road, which ran uphill from the beach strand to the village, gave the town its English-language name, Strandhill.[4] Today, the town is one of County Sligo's top tourist destinations, and has a number of hotels, bars, a golf course and the National Surf Centre, which opened in 2023.[5]
The 20th century saw the westward growth of Sligo town, and the suburban area of Magheraboy is also located on the Coolera Peninsula. TheR292 road loops around the coastline of the peninsula, and connects Strandhill to Sligo town andBallysadare.
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