The earliest example of settlement on the peninsula was discovered in April 2020, when two local residents uncovered a Neolithic shell midden on their land.

[3] The peninsula also has a rich maritime tradition, and was commonly used as a rest-stop for sailors who were unfamiliar with the tides and were subsequently caught in the sands of Sligo Bay.

[4] One such smuggler was "Black Jack", who used his wealth to build Elsinore House in the early 1800s, with cannons pointing out to sea set up in front of it.

William and Jack Butler Yeats spent their childhood summers at the house, and the peninsula inspired many of their respective works.

As an ode to its maritime history, the Wild Atlantic Shanty Festival is held every summer on Rosses Point.