John ‘The Map’ Callahan and His Pub Map of Sligo
You just can’t get enough of Irish pub nights in Sligo. They’re all about hefty pints of Guinness and someone belting out classics on the Bodhrán. But if you’re new to the county, how do you find the best watering holes? Meet John ‘The Map’ Calahan, the English guy who mapped out the town’s best bars just for you.
John’s mapmaking journey began back in the Celtic Tiger days. This was when Ireland was booming; everywhere was changing so quickly that nobody could keep up with the development. That’s when John decided to start mapping the places he visited, documenting how the Emerald Isle was evolving after being one of Europe’s poorest countries.
Over the years, John travelled all across Ireland, but one of his most memorable stops was Sligo. In 1992, he presented the county tourism board with the very first map and ended up selling 5,000 copies to them. But it wasn’t just his standard maps that got people talking. His most iconic creation was a map of the pubs in Sligo. It’s a visual snapshot of all 27 pub fronts across the town centre, a proper tribute to the town’s legendary pub scene. The good news is that most of the spots on his map are just a short stroll from our properties, so you won’t have far to go for a pint of plain.
You’ll see John’s Pubs of Sligo map in plenty of places around town, but one of the standout spots is on the wall of Hargadon Bros. Already known for its collection of photographs that capture the story of both the pub and Sligo Town, it’s no surprise John’s map earned a spot there, too.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons Licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
It wasn’t just Sligo’s buzzing bar scene that caught John’s eye. He also created other maps highlighting some of the county’s most scenic locations, like Strandhill, Coolera, and Rosses Point, with little mermaids scattered across the design. John has had a fondness for Sligo ever since he was young. Coming from London, he found something special in the simplicity of life here in Sligo, and he was completely taken by the warmth and personality of the Irish people, larger than life, as he puts it.
John’s creative process is as unique as the maps themselves. Rather than using existing maps as a template, he cycles every inch of the place himself, with a magnet on his wheel to track distances to measure every street so he can truly understand the locations he’s sketching. Then, he designs each map from scratch, and from there, the design gets sent off to a print house in Sheffield. Once it returns, each piece is finished by hand, stamping his name proudly at the bottom. Talk about putting your mark on your work, literally.
So next time you find yourself in Sligo, keep an eye out for one of John’s pub maps. You’ll be well on your way to discovering the best bars in town, just like a local.
