Coolera Peninsula
peninsula in County Sligo, Ireland
The Coolera Peninsula (Irish: Cúil Iorra) is a peninsula in Sligo Bay, County Sligo, Ireland. It is the most populous of County Sligo's peninsulas, and the second-largest by land area. The primary population centres on Coolera are the coastal town of Strandhill on its western shore, and Magheraboy, a suburb of Sligo town.
The peninsula is characterised by a vast network of Megalithic and Neolithic tombs, cairns and ringforts spread out across its landscape. The Carrowmore Megalithic Complex dates back to the 4th millennium BC, and is one of the largest megalithic complexes in Ireland. The 30,000-tonne tomb of Queen Médb, known as Miosgán Médhbh, sits atop Knocknarea mountain and is clearly visible from much of northern Sligo. Taken together, Sligo County Council has applied for this network of ancient monuments to be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In contrast to its ancient history, the peninsula's main settlement, Strandhill, was only established in the 20th century. Prior to this, locals settled inland due to the persistence of windblown sand along the coastal areas. In 1895, Belfast-native Benjamin Murrow bought up land on the west coast of Coolera.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Coolera Peninsula” as peninsula in County Sligo, Ireland. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as peninsula in County Sligo, Ireland. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q106839126. Authority coordinates are 54.267, -8.592. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1895.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Coolera Peninsula”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Coolera Peninsula primary sources, Coolera Peninsula archive and Coolera research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Coolera Peninsula”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Coolera Peninsula” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.