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Irish Civic Heraldry

SLIGO COUNTY

Origin/meaning:
The ruined tower represents the Sligo Abbey, the tree symbolises the dense woodland that once covered the site of the Town, the hare in flight is a natural concomitant of brushwood abounding with game and wildlife.
The oyster shells emphasise the fact that the "Slilgeach" river is so named because of its abundance of oyster shells.

In 1980 Sligo County Council adopted its own emblem, as distinct from that of the Borough. The blazon of the Arms depicted on the shield, prepared by the Genealogical Office, is as follows:
The tinctures sable and agent are predominant and representation of the name of the County - Sligeach - (an escallop shell) is effected by sprinkling the field of the shield with escallops.

In the upper part of the shield is placed an open book, with on the right hand side a red rose. The design represents collectively the literary and cultural history of the County - the cross referring to such early material as the Book of Ballymote and Lecan, and the rose to the poetry of W.B. Yeats, in whose work the red rose was a significant theme.
In the lower part of the shield is placed a boar's head, in recollection of the episode of Diarmuid and Gráinne.
The Motto: Land of Hearts Desire, is taken from the title of a play by Yeats which has a local setting.

Literature : Background and pictures taken from http://homepage.tinet.ie/~afinan/facts/index.html (with permission)

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