About us

 

About us

We are the Grange and Armada Development Association. In Grange you will find our Armada Centre. We offer tours, events and the popular Spanish Armada Festival in September. See our video of last years event here!

The people of Streedagh, Grange and North Sligo have, over the years, marked the story of this maritime disaster on our shoreline in many ways. The 400th Anniversary in 1988 saw the launch of the booklet still in use today “The Spanish Armada 1588- The Journey of Francisco De Cuellar- Sligo to the Causeway Coast”.

Grange and Armada Development Association organised a very successful series of events throughout that year including Music and Dance events, a pop up Museum, A Symposium, visits by Spanish Dignitaries and interests, Walks etc. Of particular importance was the development of The De Cuellar Trail through the North West to the Causeway Coast.

The re-constituted Grange and Armada Development Association along with the Celtic Fringe Festival have ambitious plans to develop a tourist offering based on the Armada and De Cuellar stories. We hope to enlist Spanish Associations and Interests in furthering these plans.

Learn about the events of 1588, walk the De Cuéllar Trail and see the wreck site at Streedagh Strand! Explore the famous letter of De Cuéllar and learn the story. Come and visit us to learn more and see how the 1588 Spanish Armada made influence on the 16th century Ireland!

    

Find us

Find the Grange and Armada Association in at the Old Court House in Grange Village, Sligo. Our centre can be visited by prior appointment only – email info@spanisharmadaireland.com and one of our members will contact you and facilitate your visit.

Have any questions or need more information? Feel free to contact us!

   


   

The history

Ever since the tragic loss of three great ships of the Spanish Armada and over 1,100 men; soldiers and sailors, noblemen and commoners; on the beach at Streedagh on that fateful day, 21st September 1588, the people of North Sligo have commemorated in folk memory the plight of all those poor lost fellow souls.

Despite the risk of persecution from the forces of Queen Elizabeth the first of England some Irish chieftains like O’Rourke of Briefne and McClancy of Dartry offered sanctuary to the few survivors that struggled ashore. The real heroes were, perhaps, the ordinary peasant people who, for no other reason than empathy for those in distress, gave shelter, food, and succour to strangers from a foreign land.

The people of Streedagh, Grange and North Sligo have, over the years, marked the story of this maritime disaster on our shoreline in many ways. The 400th Anniversary in 1988 saw the launch of the booklet still in use today “The Spanish Armada 1588- The Journey of Francisco De Cuellar- Sligo to the Causeway Coast”

Grange and Armada Development Association organised a very successful series of events throughout that year including Music and Dance events, a pop up Museum, A Symposium, visits by Spanish Dignitaries and interests, Walks etc. Of particular importance was the development of The De Cuellar Trail through the North West to the Causeway Coast.

The re-constituted Grange and Armada Development Association along with the Celtic Fringe Festival have ambitious plans to develop a tourist offering based on the Armada and De Cuellar stories. We hope to enlist Spanish Associations and Interests in furthering these plans.

 


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