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
Coman mac Faelchon was an Irish saint, the founder, abbot and bishop of Roscommon, fl. 550.
Life
Coman was a member of the Cinel Domaingen, a branch of the Sogain of Connacht. He studied at the monastic school of Clonard in County Meath, where ...
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
anglicised 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,
Delbhna Nuadat
The Delbhna Nuadat were lords of a large section of what is now Athlone in County Roscommon, situated between the Suca and Shannon rivers. A branch of the larger Delbhna
The Delbna or Delbhna were a Gaelic Irish tribe in Ireland, claiming k ...
, Síol Muirdeach, and
Moylurg
{{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022
Magh Luirg or Magh Luirg an Dagda, Anglicised as Moylurg, was the name of a medieval Irish kingdom located in modern-day County Roscommon, Ireland. It was a sub-kingdom of the kingdom of Connacht from c. 956–1585. ...
. In addition, it contained areas known as
Trícha cét
The tríocha céad, also known as trícha cét, meaning "thirty hundreds", was a unit of land-holding in eleventh and twelfth century Ireland.[Túath
''Túath'' (plural ''túatha'') is the Old Irish term for the basic political and jurisdictional unit of Gaelic Ireland. ''Túath'' can refer to both a geographical territory as well the people who lived in that territory.
Social structure
In ...](_blank)
and is the homeland of surnames such as Ó Conchobhair (
O'Conor, O'Connor), Mac Diarmada (
McDermott
McDermott is an Irish surname from County Roscommon and is mostly found in the West of Ireland. Some notable people with the surname are listed below.
Surname
A
* Alan McDermott (born 1982), Irish footballer
*Alice McDermott (born 1953), America ...
), Ó Ceallaigh (
Kelly
Kelly may refer to:
Art and entertainment
* Kelly (Kelly Price album)
* Kelly (Andrea Faustini album)
* ''Kelly'' (musical), a 1965 musical by Mark Charlap
* "Kelly" (song), a 2018 single by Kelly Rowland
* ''Kelly'' (film), a 1981 Canadi ...
), 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-b ...
, Burns), Mac Donnchadha (
McDonough
McDonough is an Irish surname.
Origins and variants
The surname is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Donnchadha", which means son of Donnchadh or son of Donough. The name itself consists of elements meaning "brown (donn)" or Donn “t ...
) and Brennan (Mac Branáin and Ó Branáin).
From 1118 to 1156 Roscommon was the seat of the
Diocese of Elphin
The Diocese of Elphin () was established following the Synod of Rathbreasail in the year 1118. In that year the see for east Connacht was moved from Roscommon. Elphin was the traditional site of a monastic house established by St Patrick , althou ...
.
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_01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Roscommon_Castle_01.jpg)
* 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
The chief governor was the senior official in the Dublin Castle administration, which maintained English and British rule in Ireland from the 1170s to 1922. The chief governor was the viceroy of the English monarch (and later the British monarch ...
, on lands he had seized from the
Augustinian Priory
A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...
. The castle had a most chequered history. It was besieged by
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...
King Aodh Ó Conchobhair in 1272.
: Eight years later it was again in the hands of an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
garrison, 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,
Lord Deputy
The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland. The plural form is '' ...
seized it. It was granted to Sir Nicholas Malbie,
Elizabethan Governor of
Connaught
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
, 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 under Preston captured it in 1645.
: It remained in Irish hands until 1652 when it was partially blown up by
Cromwellian
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in History of England, English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 ...
"
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.
![Ros Comáin 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Ros_Com%C3%A1in_1.jpg)
* 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 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, fro ...
. 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
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, English language in England, standard English, Australian English, Australian, and Huron Historic Gaol, historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention cen ...
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 Lady Betty may refer to:
* Lady Elizabeth Hastings (1682–1739), English philanthropist
* Elizabeth Sugrue (c. 1740/1750–1807), Irish executioner
* USS ''Lady Betty'', American naval ship in commission 1917–1918
* Lady Betty (solitaire), a ...
', 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
The lunatic asylum (or insane asylum) was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital.
The fall of the lunatic asylum and its eventual replacement by modern psychiatric hospitals explains the rise of organized, institutional psychiatr ...
. In 1833 it became a 'Lazaretto' – a place where outcasts who suffered from
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
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.
![Gleeson's Townhouse and Restaurant, Roscommon - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Gleeson%27s_Townhouse_and_Restaurant%2C_Roscommon_-_geograph.org.uk_-_167239.jpg)
*
Roscommon County Museum and Tourism Office is located next to Harrison hall in the town square. It was originally a small
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
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' 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, Roscommon - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/St_Coman%27s%2C_Roscommon_-_geograph.org.uk_-_167246.jpg)
* St Coman's Church is a Church of Ireland church constructed in 1775.
![Roscommon St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Roscommon_St._Mary%27s_Priory_Choir_Tomb_Effigy_2014_08_28.jpg)
*
Roscommon Abbey 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 tit ...
Felim O'Connor (
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
: Fedlimid Ó Conchobair) of
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...
, who was buried there himself in 1265. The
effigy 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 of
Scottish origin who played a major role in
Irish wars 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
The bascinet – also bassinet, basinet, or bazineto – was a Medieval European open-faced combat helmet. It evolved from a type of iron or steel skullcap, but had a more pointed apex to the skull, and it extended downwards at the rear an ...
. All are armed with a sword, except one who bears an axe-like sparth, a typical
gallowglass
The Gallowglass (also spelled galloglass, gallowglas or galloglas; from ga, gallóglaigh meaning foreign warriors) were a class of elite mercenary warriors who were principally members of the Norse-Gaelic clans of Ireland between the mid 13t ...
weapon.
:Usually called the 'Abbey', it is more accurately described as a
friary, 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-type ...
by an arcade supported by round columns which still partially survive. Suppressed at the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
, 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](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Roscommon_Courthouse.jpeg)
*
Roscommon Courthouse 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
Douglas Ross Hyde ( ga, Dubhghlas de hÍde; 17 January 1860 – 12 July 1949), known as (), was an Irish academic, linguist, scholar of the Irish language, politician and diplomat who served as the first President of Ireland from June 1938 t ...
, the first
president of Ireland
The president of Ireland ( ga, Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Ireland and the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces.
The president holds office for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms.Constitu ...
.
* Roscommon County Library is situated in Abbeytown opposite the CBS secondary school. It was built in 1783 as a
hospital (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 whe ...
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.
![Roscommon Sacred Heart Church East Façade 2014 08 28](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Roscommon_Sacred_Heart_Church_East_Fa%C3%A7ade_2014_08_28.jpg)
*
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. 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
The Diocese of Elphin () was established following the Synod of Rathbreasail in the year 1118. In that year the see for east Connacht was moved from Roscommon. Elphin was the traditional site of a monastic house established by St Patrick , althou ...
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 between 1120 and 1123. This replica was stolen from the church in May 2016, and remains missing to this day.
![Old County Workhouse - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Old_County_Workhouse_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1891932.jpg)
*
Sacred Heart Home, a former
workhouse
In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse' ...
, is situated on the outskirts of the town approximately 500m from the town on the golf links/
Curraghboy road. Outside this building is an
Irish Famine
The Great Famine ( ga, an Gorta Mór ), also known within Ireland as the Great Hunger or simply the Famine and outside Ireland as the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a h ...
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 and
famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompani ...
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
Pauperism (Lat. ''pauper'', poor) is poverty or generally the state of being poor, or particularly the condition of being a "pauper", i.e. receiving relief administered under the English Poor Laws. From this, pauperism can also be more generally ...
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 Station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Roscommon_Station.jpg)
*
Roscommon railway station 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
Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional ce ...
and
Dublin Heuston
Heuston Station ( ; ga, Stáisiún Heuston; formerly Kingsbridge Station) also known as Dublin Heuston, is one of Dublin's largest railway stations and links the capital with the south, southwest and west of Ireland. It is operated by Iar ...
. A change of train at
Athlone connects with
Athenry
Athenry (; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th century street-plan. The town is also well known by virt ...
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
Ireland West Airport ( ga, Aerfort Iarthar Éireann Mhuire), officially known as Ireland West Airport Knock ( ga, Aerfort Iarthar Éireann Chnoc Mhuire), is an international airport south-west of Charlestown, County Mayo, Ireland. The vill ...
about a one-hour drive away.
Health and education
![Roscommon hospital 4848](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Roscommon_hospital_4848.jpg)
*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 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
Hanna Greally (born Johanna Catherine Greally; 21 March 1924 – 15 August 1987) was an Irish writer who was detained against her will in St. Loman's Hospital in Mullingar, County Westmeath for almost two decades. A well-known local poet, ther ...
, 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
''The Secret Scripture'' is a 2008 novel written by Irish writer Sebastian Barry.
Plot summary
The main character is an old woman, Roseanne McNulty, who now resides in the Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital. Having been a patient for some fift ...
'', award-winning novel by
Sebastian Barry
Sebastian Barry (born 5 July 1955) is an Irish novelist, playwright and poet. He was named Laureate for Irish Fiction, 2019–2021. He is noted for his lyrical literary writing style and is considered one of Ireland's finest writers.
Barry's l ...
, 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
Dr Hyde Park (''Páirc de hÍde'' in Irish) is a GAA stadium in Roscommon, Ireland. Built in 1969 and officially opened in 1971, it is the home of the Roscommon county football team, with Athleague being the traditional home for the Roscommon ...
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 formed by ...
football and hurling teams and
Roscommon Gaels GAA
Roscommon Gaels GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Roscommon in County Roscommon, Ireland. The club provides teams for both hurling and Gaelic football.
History
The club was founded in 1959 as a result of a merger betwee ...
club.
*
Roscommon Racecourse
Roscommon Racecourse is a horse racing venue located in Roscommon, County Roscommon, Ireland, approximately 76 km north east of Galway and 136 km west of Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a ...
is a
horse racing 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
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) refers to all of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire islan ...
winning handballers and world champion handballers.
![Roscommon Arts Centre Ionad Ealaín Ros Comáin (2020)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Roscommon_Arts_Centre_Ionad_Eala%C3%ADn_Ros_Com%C3%A1in_%282020%29.jpg)
* 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, annāles, from , "year") are a concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record.
Scope
The nature of the distinction between ann ...
(AI),
Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...
(M),
Annals of Loch Cé
The ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (also ''Annals of Lough Cé'') cover events, mainly in Connacht and its neighbouring regions, from 1014 to 1590. It takes its name from Lough Cé in the kingdom of Moylurg - now north County Roscommon - which was the ...
(LC),
Annals of Ulster (U).''
The following are the records relating to Roscommon in the
Annals
Annals ( la, annāles, from , "year") are a concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record.
Scope
The nature of the distinction between ann ...
. 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 promulgatedby 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 map ...
, United States
*
Chartrettes, France
See also
*
List of towns and villages in Ireland
*
Market Houses in Ireland
*
Lord Roscommon
References
External links
CBS Roscommon
{{Authority control
County towns in the Republic of Ireland
Towns and villages in County Roscommon