HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Roscommon (; ) is the county town and the largest town in County Roscommon in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. It is roughly in the centre of Ireland, near the meeting of the N60, N61 and N63 roads. The name Roscommon is derived from Coman mac Faelchon who built a monastery there in the 5th century. The woods near the monastery became known as Ros Comáin (''St. Coman's Wood''). This was later
anglicise Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influenc ...
d to Roscommon. Its population at the 2016 census was 5,876.


History

Roscommon was the homeland of the Connachta dynasty, and included such kingdoms as
Uí Maine U or u, is the twenty-first and sixth-to-last letter and fifth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''u'' (pro ...
, Delbhna Nuadat, Síol Muirdeach, and Moylurg. In addition, it contained areas known as Trícha cét's, Túath and is the homeland of surnames such as Ó Conchobhair ( O'Conor, O'Connor), Mac Diarmada ( McDermott), Ó Ceallaigh ( Kelly), Ó Birn (Beirne,
Byrne ' Byrne (also O'Byrne) is an Irish surname. It is derived from the Gaelic ''Ó Broin'' or ''Ó Beirn''. There are two Irish surnames which have Byrne as their English spelling; the most common comes from Ó Broin, which refers to the Leinster-ba ...
, Burns), Mac Donnchadha ( McDonough) and Brennan (Mac Branáin and Ó Branáin). From 1118 to 1156 Roscommon was the seat of the Diocese of Elphin. The town is the location of a notable archaeological find in 1945 when a lunula, a gold necklace, and two discs were discovered. Both items are dated to the period 2300 and 1800 BC.


Architecture

* Roscommon Castle is located on a hillside just outside the town. Now in ruins, the castle is quadrangular in shape, it had four corner D-shaped towers, three storeys high, and twin towers at its entrance gateway, one of which still retains its immensely sturdy vaulted roof. The entire castle was enclosed by a lofty curtain wall. It was built in 1269 by Robert de Ufford, Justiciar of Ireland, on lands he had seized from the Augustinian Priory. The castle had a most chequered history. It was besieged by Connacht King Aodh Ó Conchobhair in 1272. : Eight years later it was again in the hands of an English
garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mi ...
, and fully repaired. By 1340 the O'Connor's regained possession of it, and, except for a few brief intermissions, they held it for two centuries until 1569, when
Sir Henry Sidney Sir Henry Sidney (20 July 1529 – 5 May 1586), Lord Deputy of Ireland, was the eldest son of Sir William Sidney of Penshurst, a prominent politician and courtier during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, from both of whom he received ...
, Lord Deputy seized it. It was granted to Sir Nicholas Malbie,
Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...
Governor of Connaught, in 1578. Two years later the interior was remodelled and large mullioned windows were inserted in the towers and curtain walls. Again, in 1641 the Parliamentarian faction gained it until
Confederate Catholics Confederate Ireland, also referred to as the Irish Catholic Confederation, was a period of Irish Catholic self-government between 1642 and 1649, during the Eleven Years' War. Formed by Catholic aristocrats, landed gentry, clergy and military ...
under Preston captured it in 1645. : It remained in Irish hands until 1652 when it was partially blown up by Cromwellian " Ironsides" under Commissary Reynolds, who had all the fortifications dismantled. It was finally burned down in 1690, and, from the closing years of the 17th-century, it gradually fell into decay. A symmetrical moat some distance from the curtain walls surrounded the entire castle and safeguarded it. It is now a national monument. * Harrison Hall is located prominently in the market square and is now occupied by the Bank of Ireland. Most of the ground floor is open to the public. Once a 17th-century sessions house. Following a partial collapse of the two-storey sessions house, it was rebuilt in 1762 by
Ensor brothers The following people have the surname Ensor: * Abram G. Ensor (died 1959), American politician * Arthur John Ensor (1905–1995), British-Canadian painter and industrial designer * Beatrice Ensor (1885–1974), English theosophical educator and pe ...
and converted into a courthouse and market house. It is built in the classical architectural style with a
cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, fr ...
. It became a
catholic church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in 1863. After 1903 it became a recreational hall to commemorate Dr John Harrison (who was a physician in Roscommon town's workhouse, during the famine of the 1840s) it was used as a dance hall, cinema and theatre before it was sold to the Bank of Ireland in 1972. * The old gaol is located at the northern end of the square and faces the back of Harrison Hall. The original building is thought to have been designed by Richard Cassells in 1736. The building was completed in 1745. The gaol had the distinction of having a hang woman, ' Lady Betty', a criminal who had her sentence withdrawn on the provision that she perform the unpaid task of hang woman. A new gaol was built on the site of the current Garda station in 1814, and in 1822 the old gaol was taken over for use as a lunatic asylum. In 1833 it became a 'Lazaretto' – a place where outcasts who suffered from smallpox were confined. Sometime after 1840 the building was converted to residential and commercial use. All but the facade of the building was demolished by a developer in the 1980s and a car park and structure containing retail, office, restaurant and residential units were constructed on the site in the late 1990s. * Roscommon County Museum and Tourism Office is located next to Harrison hall in the town square. It was originally a small Presbyterian church built in 1863, with the associated manse located next door. The building is of cut limestone with a large recessed door, circular headed windows and fenestration on the wheel window over the door is in the form of the '
Star of David The Star of David (). is a generally recognized symbol of both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles. A derivation of the ''seal of Solomon'', which was used for decorative ...
' to commemorate its Welsh Builders. The building was renovated in 1991 and now contains many exhibits and artefacts illustrating and interpreting the history of Roscommon. Among the artefacts on display is a 9th-century grave slab from St Comans Abbey and a Sheela na Gig from Rahara church. * St Coman's Church is a Church of Ireland church constructed in 1775. *
Roscommon Abbey Roscommon Abbey is a former Augustinian/Dominican Priory and National Monument located in Roscommon, Ireland. History Roscommon Abbey is an early monastic site, founded in the 6th century by St Comman, a disciple of Finnian of Clonard. Rosco ...
is on the outskirts of the core of the town, and is reachable by a path at the back of the Abbey Hotel running alongside the Abbey boys' school. It was founded just over 750 years ago by
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ...
Felim O'Connor ( Irish: Fedlimid Ó Conchobair) of Connacht, who was buried there himself in 1265. The
effigy An effigy is an often life-size sculptural representation of a specific person, or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certai ...
in a niche on the north side of the chancel is either that of himself (but carved 35 years or more after his death), or of one of his successors; dating from around 1300, it shows a king dressed in a long robe and mantle of a kind that suggests he may have been aping an English regal costume of the period, an idea supported by the fact that he carries a sceptre with fleur-de-lis head in his right hand. The tomb front supporting his effigy slab (but not originally belonging to it) bears eight niches containing fifteenth-century carved figures of gallowglasses,
mercenaries A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
of
Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
origin who played a major role in
Irish wars This is a list of conflicts in Ireland, including wars, armed rebellions, battles and skirmishes. Irish Warriors participated in many wars in Europe and “England” as well and are not completely recognized on this page. List of wars and reb ...
of the Later
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. These have their bodies protected by a coat of mail and each wears a helmet known as a bascinet. All are armed with a sword, except one who bears an axe-like sparth, a typical gallowglass weapon. :Usually called the 'Abbey', it is more accurately described as a
friary A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
, it was created for Dominican friars. During the course of its existence, it experienced many misfortunate events, starting with a fire in 1270, a lightning strike in 1308, and having Lord Audley take large sums of money deposited in it by the poor people of the town for the use of his army against a king of Connacht. But the main part of the church must have survived these misfortunes, for much of its existing fabric dates from the thirteenth century, as seen in the style of the lancet windows in the north and south walls. The east wall of the church probably had five such windows grouped and graded together, but they were replaced in the fifteenth century by one single large traceried window which probably shed more light inside during the morning. At the same period, a chapel — also with a large window — was added to the north, at right angles to an aisle which is separated from the
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...
by an arcade supported by round columns which still partially survive. Suppressed at the Reformation, the ruined buildings were denuded of their majestic tower, and probably also of the cloister to the south, when they served as a handy stone-quarry for their owner. *
Roscommon Courthouse Roscommon Courthouse is a judicial facility located on Abbey Street, Roscommon, County Roscommon, Ireland. History The courthouse, which was designed by Sir Richard Morrison in the neoclassical style and built in ashlar stone, was completed in 1 ...
is located on Abbey Street. It was built in 1832 adjacent to the new gaol (now the site of Roscommon garda station) to replace the previous courthouse, which is now known as Harrison Hall and which currently houses a branch of the Bank of Ireland.Roscommon People, 26 August 2016, pages 20-21, available at https://issuu.com/roscommonpeople/docs/2016.08.26 The courthouse was severely damaged by fire in 1882 and was restored later in the 1880s. The courthouse is the venue for sittings of Roscommon District and Circuit Courts. The floor of the entrance hall features a mosaic of the Roscommon crest and over the main staircase hangs a large portrait of Douglas Hyde, the first president of Ireland. * Roscommon County Library is situated in Abbeytown opposite the CBS secondary school. It was built in 1783 as a
hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emergenc ...
(then known as an infirmary). It is a 3-storey over basement
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...
structure. Two symmetrical wings flank the north and south end of a central portion. It was used as a hospital until 1941. Major reconstruction work was undertaken in 1989 and the building was refitted as the County Library. * Sacred Heart Catholic Church dominates the skyline of the town. The church spire is 52 m high. Built of local cut stone and opened in 1903, it was completed in 1925. The church is built on rising ground and fronted by a sunken
grotto A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high ti ...
. Over the main door is a fine example of mosaic, carried out by the Italian firm of Salviate, depicting two bishops of the diocese of Elphin connected with the building of the church. The interior is equally impressive and contained a replica of the Cross of Cong, the original of which was made in
Fuerty Fuerty (historically ''Fewerty'', from ) is a townland and civil parish on the R366 regional road near the town of Roscommon in County Roscommon, Ireland. Fuerty is known for a ruined church and ancient graveyard on the site of a Celtic Chri ...
between 1120 and 1123. This replica was stolen from the church in May 2016, and remains missing to this day. * Sacred Heart Home, a former workhouse, is situated on the outskirts of the town approximately 500m from the town on the golf links/
Curraghboy Curraghboy () is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It lies northwest of Athlone on the R362 regional road The term regional road (or route) is used in a number of places to designate roads of more than purely ''local'' but less than ' ...
road. Outside this building is an Irish Famine Memorial. It was constructed on behalf of the people of Roscommon in 1999, as a permanent memorial to the thousands of Roscommon people who perished in the Famine. It is built next to the master's residence of the Workhouse. The workhouse building was constructed in 1840, in response to a sudden increase in
extreme poverty Extreme poverty, deep poverty, abject poverty, absolute poverty, destitution, or penury, is the most severe type of poverty, defined by the United Nations (UN) as "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, includi ...
and
famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, Demographic trap, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. Th ...
in the Roscommon town area. Roscommon was severely affected during the great famine, with one of the highest death rates per population recorded in the whole of Ireland, during this period the population of Roscommon suffered a 31.5% drop. The workhouse was designed for 700 paupers but housed up to 1,600 people during the famine years. : Hundreds flocked to the workhouse for sustenance and refuge. However, the workhouse could not cope with the numbers requiring assistance. This situation was reflected in a notice which was posted outside Roscommon Workhouse in January 1847, which stated that no new applicants seeking assistance could be admitted. Many who died there were buried in Bully's Acre, a short distance away.


Transport

*
Roscommon railway station Roscommon railway station serves the town of Roscommon in County Roscommon, Ireland. The station is on the Dublin to Westport Rail service. Passengers to or from Galway travel to Athlone and change trains. Passengers to or from Ballina and ...
opened on 13 February 1860, and offers rail services to all stations on the Dublin-Westport/Ballina and Galway line. Direct services run to Athlone, Portarlington, Kildare and Dublin Heuston. A change of train at Athlone connects with Athenry and for example. Indirect services connect Sligo. *Major national roads lead from Roscommon to Sligo, Longford, Athlone, Castlebar, Galway and Dublin. Roscommon is located 30 km from the M6 Dublin-Galway motorway. * Bus Éireann runs regular bus services to other major towns from the Mart Road. *The nearest airport is Ireland West Airport Knock about a one-hour drive away.


Health and education

*The health services of Roscommon town serve all of County Roscommon and the surrounding areas, with a catchment population of around 70,000. Health services are provided by
Roscommon University Hospital Roscommon University Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Ollscoile Ros Comáin) is a general hospital based in Roscommon, Ireland. It is situated on the N61 just outside Roscommon town. It is managed by Saolta University Health Care Group. History Early hi ...
and rehabilitative care is available at Sacred Heart Hospital. *Roscommon town has two primary schools, namely, St Coman's Wood Primary School (which was formed after Scoil Mhuire Primary School and Abbey National School combined) and Gaelscoil de hÍde. *There are three secondary schools in Roscommon, namely, the Convent of Mercy, the Christian Brothers School and Roscommon Community College. Roscommon Community College also offers post-leaving-certificate courses.


Events and popular culture

* Roscommon Lamb Festival takes place on the first weekend of May each year (the May bank holiday weekend). Its aim is to highlight the quality of locally produced food and entails diverse events and activities, including barbecues, craft sales and novelty events. * Roscommon's Easter parade takes place every Easter Sunday. * Roscommon is the setting for the once-famous song, ''She was Plucking a Duck by the Old River Suck'' by Bert Flynn. Flynn and his band were regular features in the dance halls of Roscommon in the 1940s and 1950s. * Hanna Greally, author of ''Bird's Nest Soup'' and ''Flown the Nest'', lived in Roscommon after her release from eighteen years of involuntary detention in a psychiatric institution. * '' The Secret Scripture'', award-winning novel by Sebastian Barry, is set in Roscommon.


Sports and amenities

*Loughnaneane Park is situated in the town centre, behind the old gaol. It contains a children's playground, outdoor exercise equipment, a lakeside walkway, picnic tables, and Roscommon Castle. * Mote Park, the former estate of the Crofton landlord family, approximately from the town centre is a woodland area covering several miles and is popular with walkers. * Roscommon Golf Club was founded in 1904, the course, set in parklands filled with mature sycamore, beech, whitethorn trees and ash trees, was extended to eighteen holes in 1996 and now measures . * Dr Hyde Park named after Douglas Hyde (First president of Ireland) is a GAA stadium with a capacity of 25,000 and is home to the
Roscommon county Roscommon County ( ') is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 23,459. The county seat is Roscommon. The county was founded in 1840 and organized in 1875. History The county was forme ...
football and hurling teams and Roscommon Gaels GAA club. * Roscommon Racecourse is a
horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
course, which is situated approximately from the town centre, the track itself is an oblong right-handed track in length, and the course has stabling for up to 95 horses. * Roscommon Leisure Centre opened early 2002 and has a deck level pool with a learner swimming pool and spectator gallery and fully equipped gymnasium. Situated next to the swimming pool is the home of Roscommon's most successful sport — St Coman's handball club. Established in 1930 the club has produced many All-Ireland winning handballers and world champion handballers. * Roscommon Arts Centre is a multidisciplinary arts facility containing an auditorium and which hosts theatre, dance, music, visual art, comedy and literature events.


Annalistic references

''See
Annals of Inisfallen Annals ( la, wikt:annales, annāles, from , "year") are a concise history, historical record in which events are arranged chronology, chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record. Scope The natur ...
(AI), Annals of the Four Masters (M), Annals of Loch Cé (LC), Annals of Ulster (U).'' The following are the records relating to Roscommon in the Annals. In each case, the specific Annal is denoted by the first letter(s), followed by the year it relates to, followed by a decimal point, followed by the number of the entry for that year. M 777.5: Aedhan, Abbot of Ros Comain, died. M 774.5: Forbhasach, son of Maeltola, Abbot of Ros Comain, died. AI 782.2: Repose of Aed, abbot of Ros Comáin. M 788.12: The law of St. Comman
as promulgated As, AS, A. S., A/S or similar may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * A. S. Byatt (born 1936), English critic, novelist, poet and short story writer * "As" (song), by Stevie Wonder * , a Spanish sports newspaper * , an academic male voice ...
by Aeldobhair, i.e. Abbot of Ros Commain, and by Muirgheas, throughout the three divisions of Connaught. M 813.4: Siadhail, Abbot and Bishop of Ros Commain, died. U 830.7: Ioseph son of Nechtain, abbot of Ros Comáin, rested. M 872.2: Aedh, son of Fianghus, Abbot of Ros Comain, bishop and distinguished scribe ied M 914.4: Martin, Abbot of Ros-Commain, died. M 925.6: Donnghal of Ros-Commain, died. M 1028.3: Gillachrist, son of Dubhchuillinn, a noble priest of Ard-Macha, died at Ros-Commain. M 1155.2: Fearghal Ua Finachta, a noble priest of Ross-Commain, ied LC 1265.6: Fedhlim, son of Cathal Crobhderg Ó Conchobhair, king of Connacht—the protector and supporter of his own province, and the protector of his friends on every side; the plunderer and extirpator of his enemies wherever they might be; a man full of bounty and prowess; a man full of distinction and honor in Erinn and Saxon-land—died after the triumph of unction and penitence, and was interred in the monastery of the Friars Preachers in Ros-Comain, which he had previously granted to God and the Order. LC 1564.2: Ros-Comain was taken by the sons of Tadhg Og, son of Tadhg, son of Toirdhelbhach Ó Conchobhair, from Ó Conchobhair Donn; and they gave the town, after taking it, to Ó Conchobhair Ruadh, i.e. Tadhg Og, son of Tadhg Buidhe; and much was destroyed throughout all Connacht on account of this capture. Brian, son of Ruaidhri Mac Diarmada, and the sons of Tomaltach Mac Diarmada, with many men, went into ambush around Ros-Comain. Conchobhar, the son of Ó Conchobhair Ruadh, went out from the court that day, and the ambuscaders attacked himself and his people on all sides; and they were driven to the monastery and their horses were taken from them before the door; and they themselves went into the belfry. But this place was no defence to them. All followed them, and God decreed the termination of their lives; for, though strong the place in which they were; their heads were taken off them all. Conchobhar, son of Toirdhelbhach Ruadh Ó Conchobhair, was killed there, and ten and eleven of his people along with him; and horses were taken from them. On the Saturday of Patrick's Sunday these deeds were committed.


Twin towns – sister cities

*
Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive ...
, United States *
Chartrettes Chartrettes () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Weather During winter the expected temperature for Chartrettes is 0–7 °C (33–43 °F.) During spring and autumn it ...
, France


See also

* List of towns and villages in Ireland *
Market Houses in Ireland See: * Market houses in Northern Ireland * List of market houses in the Republic of Ireland {{DEFAULTSORT:Irish towns with a Market House Market House Market House Irish Market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: * Market (e ...
*
Lord Roscommon Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon (1637–1685), was an Anglo-Irish landlord, Irish peer, and poet. Birth and origins Wentworth was born in October 1637 in Dublin, probably in St George's Lane. He was the only son of James Dillon, 3rd ...


References


External links


CBS Roscommon
{{Authority control County towns in the Republic of Ireland Towns and villages in County Roscommon