Is the car ready?

Wolseley Siddeley car

The 1910 Wolseley Siddeley car owned by the Gore-Booth family

Copyright Sligo County Library.

Wolseley Siddeley car
Copyright Sligo County Library.

Wolseley Siddeley car

The 1910 Wolseley Siddeley car owned by the Gore-Booth family

Copyright Sligo County Library.

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Pat Kilfeather was the Gore-Booth chauffeur. He had been polishing the new Wolseley Siddeley since dawn, and he was glad when it passed the butler's inspection.

He took the starting-handle from its rack, carefully inserted it into its guide-hole under the headlamps and cranked the engine into life. There were a few snorts in the beginning, a backfire or two, and then the purring sound of a well-oiled machine.

A fresh rug was placed in the luggage-compartment at the rear in case it got cooler in the evening, and the car-occupants needed a cover for their knees and feet. A spare earthenware jar of petrol was securely fixed in place beside a small bottle of engine-oil, and he made sure that all the tools were in the tool-kit. The tyres were pumped up, and, although at first Pat thought the tyres were hollow to save rubber, he now knew that John Dunlop's invention meant a smoother car-ride.

Glencar Lake, County Sligo

Glencar Lake, County Sligo

Copyright Sligo County Library.

Glencar Lake, County Sligo
Copyright Sligo County Library.

Glencar Lake, County Sligo

Glencar Lake, County Sligo

Copyright Sligo County Library.

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The family would be touring Lough Gill today, on to Glencar for a picnic, then going to the race-meeting at Strandhill Beach under Knocknarea and would be home for evening tea.

Knocknarea, County Sligo

Knocknarea, County Sligo, with Carrowmore megalithic cemetery in the foreground and Queen Maeve’s cairn on the summit.

Copyright Sligo County Library.

Knocknarea, County Sligo
Copyright Sligo County Library.

Knocknarea, County Sligo

Knocknarea, County Sligo, with Carrowmore megalithic cemetery in the foreground and Queen Maeve’s cairn on the summit.

Copyright Sligo County Library.

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Pat, the chauffer, loved cars and hoped to own one, even an old one, some day.

Sligo Leitrim Railway

The 1940s were also difficult for the Sligo Leitrim Railway as the shortage of coal during World War II, had serious effects on the reliability of the trains.

The 1950's saw the railways decline in many parts of Ireland and the closure of the Sligo Leitrim line took place in 1957.

Nowadays, Sligo has good road networks connecting it to Dublin and other cities.

Sligo airport provides a regular service to and from Dublin.