STAYCATIONS and the BBC 3 series Normal People have given Sligo the sort of priceless advertising and increased visitor numbers boost that only multi-million campaigns could buy. It’s no surprise though to Simone Hession that the county she herself describes as a ‘hidden gem’ was discovered en-masse this summer.

“It [Normal People] absolutely has put Sligo on the map. A few people have said to me over the years doing dressage, ‘You live in Sligo, you’re as far away from dressage as you could be!’ And I said ‘I might have to pay more in diesel every year but my favourite part is the drive home to the west and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.’ Sligo is definitely in my heart.”