Sligeach
/ˈʃl̠ʲɪɟəx/masculine
Sligo is translated into Irish as Sligeach or Contae Shligigh.
Meaning: county (name)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sligeach | /ˈʃl̠ʲɪɟəx/ (Connacht) /ˈʃl̠ʲɪɟa(x)/ (Ulster) |
masculine |
| Contae Shligigh | masculine |
The word refers to the name of the place or the administrative county in Ireland.
Which one should you use?
Sligeach is the standard form used for the name of the place itself, whereas Contae Shligigh is used when you are referring specifically to the administrative county.
How does it change in a sentence?
Contae Shligigh is the specific phrase used to denote the administrative entity of County Sligo.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʃl̠ʲɪɟəx/
Did you know?
- The name Sligeach is a descriptive term that literally means 'a place abounding in shells'.
- In Irish, the name of the county changes from Sligeach to Shligigh when used in the phrase Contae Shligigh because of a grammatical rule called lenition.
- The pronunciation of the final sound in Sligeach is identical to the 'ch' in the Scottish word 'loch', a sound not found in standard English.
Examples in context
- Tá sé in Sligeach.It is in Sligo.
- An bhfuil tú i Sligeach?Are you in Sligo?
Example conversation
Oisín and Siobhán are talking about their weekend plans.
- OisínCá bhfuil tú ag dul an troid?Where are you going this weekend?
- SiobhánTá mé ag dul go Sligeach.I am going to Sligo.
- OisínAn bhfuil tú ag cuairt a thabhairt do chlann?Are you visiting family?
- SiobhánTá, tá mo sheanathamháil i Sligeach.Yes, my grandmother is in Sligo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sligo” translations and entries Sligeach, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Sligeach, contae, sligeach, CC BY-SA 4.0.
