A step back in time makes me appreciate the present
A CELEBRATION OF LIFE TOOK ME BACK to Sligo last weekend, to my dad’s hometown of Tubbercurry. The last time I visited was for a funeral in January. This time, my uncle who passed away inspired a parish to come together and raise money for cancer research, and the local hospice, whose staff made his last few days so memorable.
After Mass and a teary-eyed presentation at the local golf club, we stayed at ‘Rossa’s Retreat’ – the house on the beach where I spent summers as a child. My sisters and I got to while away a day walking the beach, climbing hills and drinking coffee. On the other side of the coast, in Strandhill, we ate ice-cream in Mammy Johnston’s and remembered the old days, when our mother used to squeeze us into wet-suits and send us out surfing on the wild, west of Ireland waves.
Afterwards, we’d eat fish and chips in Shell’s fish shop with tangled wet curls and red cheeks before being hustled into the back of the car for an evening listening to trad music at the local hotel. I always forget how beautiful Sligo is, until I get to back to Rosses Point. As kids, we never really appreciated WB Yeats’ grave or the sights overlooking Knocknarea mountain, on the way into Sligo town. Nor did we comprehend the vastness of the town and the fact that much of its culture is steeped in so much history.
I remember that as we got older, my sisters and I would pine to get back to Dublin, to our friends, and shopping and ‘civilisation’. No amount of sports could entertain us after a week away from the city. Now, when I wander through Sligo Town, I see it through a different lens. Perhaps it’s because I know Dublin’s every little secret, that another town poses excitement and newness. Or maybe because it’s changed so much since I was a sulky teenager and only wanted to shop in Topshop and Miss Selfridge’s.
For the most part, shopping in the town combines the old signature boutiques like Zulu with the iconic favourite Mullaney’s department store – but there are a few new sartorial gems scattered around in the last decade. Carraig Donn is most loved for its easy-to-wear staples and occasion dresses that cater for more mature ladies. It also now stocks Vila and Vera Moda – more trend-based collections to appeal to girls in their 20s. Jodi Albert, wife of Westlife’s Kian Egan, has a boutique in Quayside shopping centre which has also added some stylish charm.
On the way home, via Leitrim is Kabuki boutique in Carrick-onShannon. Owner Louise Merrick stocks a range of designer collectables and occasion-wear, pictured above, that trump the usual embellished wedding guest dress. She has a wonderful eye and there is always a great sale rack, from which I’ve picked up many treasures on my way home over the years.
Now when I wander through Sligo Town, I see it through a different lens