Coach Lane, a restaurant
1-2 Lord Edward Street
Sligo, Ireland
Our chubby taxi driver collected us at The Park House B&B in Sligo. The Irish/American relationship is uniquely intermingled. It seems every Irish person has either traveled to the USA, plans to travel to the USA, or has a family member who lives in the USA.
“Lived in the States, drove a horse carriage in Central Park in New York,” the smiling Irishman taxi-man said, “Trump was a pain, didn’t want any horses around his Plaza Hotel. Said horses smelled bad.”
Ireland’s stiff drinking/driving regulations translate that one pint of strong beer may put the driver over the legal limit.
Sligo’s climate offers lots of precip and a narrow temperature range. The yearly mean temperature is 49. Rain is most frequent from October through January. We visited in late October. The high temp never reached 49. The skies poured rain, the clouds spewed hail, the wind gusted at force five; gale strength.
Leprechauns, an Irish legend, were fairies of the Tuath Dé Danann, a supernatural tribe of gods. In fable Leprechauns ruled as Ireland’s deities. The Adventure of Fergus describes leprechauns as mischievous cobblers, possessing great wealth. If a mortal can capture a Leprechaun, he is rewarded three wishes.
If we could capture a Leprechaun; the rain would cease, the air would warm, the wind would still.
Our nightly quest in Sligo Town for food, drink, music . . . and a Leprechaun, required a taxi.
Quote from Owner
The Head waiter at Coach Lane arrived at our table as we finished the meal.
“You inquired about traditional Irish music? Tonight the music is playing at McGlynn’s or Earley’s,” he said.
Sligo lays claim to being the home of traditional Irish music. The night of the week doesn’t matter – great traditional Irish music is played every night by Sligo musicians. Often an impromptu band of merry-makers with “join in as you can” style as they pass the lead from one musician to the next.
Sligo pubs alternate which night they offer Trad music. Sligo pubs featuring traditional Irish tunes nightly include McGarrigles, McGlynns, Shoot the Crows, the Journeyman, Earley’s Bar.
Why Coach Lane appeals to me
Donaghy’s bread arrives at your table first. The loaf starts with garlic-cheese and progresses through pepper, tomato and olives. Slather some of the raspberry-chili jam over the bread, drain a Guinness and prep for the main course.
The Donaghy philosophy, “Source ingredients locally, don’t compromise quality”.
Orla Donaghy, owner of Coach Lane, came by our table as the last of our wine was being sipped. “We moved into the top floor when we purchased the building in 1994,” Orla said.
Orla and Andy Donaghy spent 10+ years in the USA, Andy serving as Executive Chef at Greenwich Country Club, Connecticut.
The Coach Lane building served as a hotel decades ago. When Donaghy’s bought the building in 1994, they began stripping the interior. Room by room renovations were completed. Slowly the hotel/apartment” morphed. Donaghy’s Bar opened on the first floor – later the upstairs restaurant COACH LANE. Donaghy’s preserved a trickle of cash flow in the early years, only moving tenants as renovation began on each unit.
The mid-90’s transformation continued ten years. Interior walls were stripped, exposing 19th century brick underneath. Beautiful old brick, bonded poorly with decayed mortar.
A local Sligo artisan was chosen to restore the decayed mortar and salvage the 19th century brick. Our group ran our fingers along the finished wall of Coach Lane – perfect.
Coach Lane was the name chosen by the Donaghy’s for the restaurant. A small lane that runs parallel to the building once served as the carriage stop at the inn.
How Far Down the Block?
While Coach Lane is centered in the middle of all the action in downtown Sligo, Sligo is 2.5-hour drive from Dublin’s’ airport.
Why you might be nearby?
Golf –links golf- brought us to County Sligo. Four of golf’s most acclaimed links courses lie within a short drive of Sligo.
Rosses Point Golf Club; where Rory McIlroy won two West Ireland championships in his teen years.
Enniscrone Golf Club; a West Ireland design by Ireland’s revered golf course architect Eddie Hackett was celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2018.
Strandhill Golf Club, Sligo’s “other links course has 270 degree overlook of the North Atlantic Ocean from the clubhouse.
Carne Golf Links; Irish golf course architect Eddie Hackett’s final, dramatic gem. Opened 1995, yet some links aficionados call it the best of the best.
Lesser Known Facts
Sligo in its Gallic form means “a land of shells.” Maybe, down by the seashore. But in town, Sligo is a place of traditional Irish music. Pure Irish music. Sligo Irish roots run deep. Common Sligo surnames include; Gallagher, Brennan, MacGowan, Kelly, Gilmartin, Healy, Walsh, Hart, Feeney, MacDonagh, Loughlin, Connor, Conlon.
At last official count, Sligo had a population of 19,452.
Sligo is not the melting pot of Europe. 84% of Sligo residents declared themselves Roman Catholics. 9% admitted to being Prod or something else. 7% of those polled said, ”Bugger off – I’m not anything.”
Perhaps the rude 7% doesn’t believe, but it’s likely they are lapsed Catholics. So if we round-up for accounting purposes, and add-back those lapsed, almost 90% of Sligo’s residents are/were Irish Catholic.
In Sligo town, traditional Irish music is performed by Irish Catholics.
Local Recommendation
Earley’s Bar was our choice for traditional Irish music.
Teresa smiled at me as she unpacked her fiddler bow at Earley’s Bar.
“Hi,” she said with an Irish brogue. “I’m just a beginner. Been playing at it for three years.”
The session began in a room just off the bar. Declan was tapping the keys of his accordion, pacing the other eight traditional Irish musicians, when in walked a group of businessmen from the UK. The tallest of the men unpacked a pipe instrument from his travel bag and took a stool in the midst of the Irish musicians.
One of our group, Larry the Dancing Dentist (video) sprang to his feet. The visiting businessman started piping in unison and finished as the session’s featured soloist. Our group banged the tables for more music and another pint of Irish brew.
Something for Nothing
The trails of Sligo. The Ben Bulben Loop, is a 5 kilometer mountain trail tour. Benbulben, County Sligo, Ireland, is part of the Dartry Mountains. The geographic focus in “Yeats Country” is Ben Bulbin, rising 1,700 feet.