Roosky, Ruskey, or Rooskey () is a village on the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland. The Shan ...

in the northern midlands of Ireland, near the point where counties Leitrim,

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...

, and Roscommon meet. The N4 road from Dublin to

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

passes by the Leitrim side of the village.

History

In 1798 the local rebels defeated the army of

General Lake Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (27 July 1744 – 20 February 1808) was a British general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the military in British India. Background He was ...

on the shores of Lough Bofin as part of the 1798 rebellion. There was also a 'Pleasure House' on the shores of the same lake, including a man-made beach only accessible to people from the

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...

Protestant class, which was later burned down. The Protestant church, in the centre of the village, was also attacked at this time. Roosky was a lively market village in the mid 20th Century. The bridge was the scene of conflict during the

Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...

in 1922 and was also an important focal point for the National Farmers Association strike in 1967. The portion of the village in County Leitrim was formerly known as Georgia or Gorteenoran ( ga, Goirtín Óráin) and constituted 5 houses and three licensed premises in 1925. This name is not in use today.

Facilities

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Roman Catholic church built in 1844, holds regular masses. The village has a supermarket, a Chinese restaurant, a Garda Station and a number of pubs. The community centre is located on the site of the old primary school.

Culture

The Shannon Key West Hotel was an entertainment venue in the village, until it went into liquidation, closing its doors on 18 October 2011. Every year, the village holds the 'Rooskey Heritage Festival,' usually in July. RooskyShannon Feb 2003 171

Tourism

Roosky is a destination for anglers, as the

and the nearby loughs are well stocked with coarse fish including

roach Roach may refer to: Animals * Cockroach, various insect species of the order Blattodea * Common roach (''Rutilus rutilus''), a fresh and brackish water fish of the family Cyprinidae ** ''Rutilus'' or roaches, a genus of fishes * California roach ...

, perch and bream. The

harbour A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

and marina are especially busy in the summer, with cruise vessels regularly stopping here. The

Rooskey Heritage Festival Roosky, Ruskey, or Rooskey () is a village on the River Shannon in the northern midlands of Ireland, near the point where counties Leitrim, Longford, and Roscommon meet. The N4 road from Dublin to Sligo passes by the Leitrim side of the vi ...

is also held annually in the village. This community festival includes live music and heritage displays and promotes Rooskey village as a tourist destination. There are also art exhibitions, watersport displays and markets. Proceeds raised by the festival go towards the next year's festival and community projects which have included commissioning a wooden sculpture for the village, promoting the village's rich history by using plaques near points of interest and organising events all year celebrating heritage. Outdoor activities that take place locally include watersports, horse-riding, pony-trekking and walking.

Education

The village is served by the local primary school, Our Lady of Mount Carmel N.S., which was opened in 1997.

Industry

On 8 May 2002, a fire destroyed much of the premises of the Glanbia pork processing plant. Furthermore, the following year it was announced that the plant would not be rebuilt. On the Leitrim side of the village, there is also a test tube making factory.

Rail access

The nearest railway station is located on the County Leitrim side of the River Shannon at Dromod which is on the

Dublin–Sligo railway line The Dublin to Sligo main line is a railway route operated by Iarnród Éireann in Ireland. It starts in Dublin Connolly station, terminating at Sligo Mac Diarmada railway station in Sligo. The route is a double-track railway as far as Maynoot ...

Sport

Roosky is represented in both GAA and

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

by Kilglass Gaels and Dynamo Rooskey, respectively. There are three 18-hole golf courses in the area.

People

* Albert Reynolds, politician and 9th Taoiseach of Ireland, born in Roosky

References

External links

* * {{River Shannon Towns and villages in County Roscommon Towns and villages in County Leitrim Populated places on the River Shannon