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Gurteen – or
Gorteen – is a small village in south Sligo. It is located 6km north
of Lough Gara. Gurteen
has a surprisingly rich past for such a small place. This is a
heritage town and arguably could also be called the capital of
traditional Irish music. Gurteen has been home to more great
traditional Irish music players than almost any other place. It was
here that the distinctive South Sligo musical style was born, a
style that is recognised and imitated worldwide.
Probably the most
famous musician to have come from Gurteen was Michael Coleman who
was an innovative ‘master of the fiddle’. His memory is honoured in
the village with the Coleman Irish Music Centre. The main building
is a focal point for the living music tradition and houses a
theatre, a large audio-visual display on South Sligo, its music and
the life of Michael Coleman himself.
Not far from Gurten is Moygara Castle - a 16th Century Castle
overlooking Lough Gara that was once the principal home of the
O'Gara clan. The castle is one of the finest examples of a
castellated building in the county.
Lough Gara itself is very popular with fishermen . Over 300 crannog
sites were found on this lake in the 1950's during a drainage
programme. Crannogs were manmade islands built for protection in
Ireland’s Bronze and Iron ages. Another prehistoric site in the area
is Drumanone Portal Tomb.
A number of festivals and events take place in and around Gurteen.
Flock to the Lough is an annual festival that is held in July every
year in neighbouring Monasteraden. The Boyle Arts Festival is a 10
day event that is not to be missed. The Gurteen Agricultural and
Horse Show takes place at the end of August each year. |
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Gurteen Holiday Homes - County Sligo, Ireland
