A Guide to Tracing Your Sligo Ancestors

Sligo is situated in the north of the province of Connaught nestled between Mayo and Leitrim. The population of about 60,000 in 1792 rose to over 180,000 by the mid 1800s when trade was dominated by the flax, wool and linen industries serving the textile trade. The population of Sligo continuously decreased since the Great Famine with a high level of emigration to North America and elsewhere. Sligo families are a mixture of native Gaelic families and of Cromwellian settlers who arrived in the 17th century. Common surnames include Scanlon, (O') Healy, Brennan, Gallagher, (O') Hart, McDermot and Gilmartin. The main 'gentry' families in the county are Cooper, Crofton, Gore, Nicholson, Ormsby, Parke, and Phibbs. This book sets out the records available for Sligo, where they can be accessed, and how they can be used to best effect in tracing Sligo families.