Rosmuc or Ros Muc, sometimes anglicised as Rosmuck, is a village in the
Conamara
Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speak ...
Gaeltacht
( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home.
The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially recog ...
of
County Galway
"Righteousness and Justice"
, anthem = ()
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg
, map_caption = Location in Ireland
, area_footnotes =
, area_total_km2 = ...
, Ireland. It lies halfway between the town of
Clifden
Clifden (, meaning "stepping stones") is a coastal town in County Galway, Ireland, in the region of Connemara, located on the Owenglin River where it flows into Clifden Bay. As the largest town in the region, it is often referred to as "the Cap ...
and the city of
Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
. Irish is the predominant spoken language in the area, with the
electoral division
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
of Turlough, Rosmuc, representing one of the highest percentages of Irish-speaking people in the country. The
townland
A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...
of Rosmuck is part of the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
of Kilcummin.
History and etymology
It is estimated that people first settled in Rosmuc in AD 400, one hundred years before Naomh Briocán (Saint Briocán) brought Christianity to the area.
It is believed that the name 'Ros Muc' comes from the old Irish "the peninsula of rounded hills", ''ros'' meaning "promontory or headland" and ''muc'' meaning "rounded hills" or "pig". This may derive from a perception that the rounded hills on the horizon and surrounding the district look like the rounded backs of farm animals.
Population
The population of the Rosmuc area is estimated to be around 450 people. During the 20th century, there had been a decline in the population, mainly due to emigration, but this has subsided in more recent years.
As of the 2011 census, Rosmuc townland had a population of 72 people.
Irish language
As of 2006, there were 557 people living in the Ros Muc Electoral Division, and 87% of these were native Irish speakers. According to an analysis of the census a total of 91.9% of adults over nineteen years old said they spoke Irish on a daily basis.
Literature
The area has been home to a number of literary figures, including Irish revolutionary and language activist
Patrick Pearse
Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ga, Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist, republican political activist and revolutionary who ...
(''Pádraig Mac Piarais'' or ''An Ṗiarsaċ'') who had a summer residence there in the early 1900s and set several of his short stories in the area. Pearse was based in his Rosmuc cottage when he wrote the graveside oration, "''
Ireland unfree shall never be at peace
"Ireland unfree shall never be at peace" were the climactic closing words of the graveside oration of Patrick Pearse at the funeral of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa on 1 August 1915. The oration roused Irish republican feeling and was a significant ...
''", given at the funeral of
Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa
Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa ( ga, Diarmaid Ó Donnabháin Rosa; baptised 4 September 1831, died 29 June 1915)Con O'Callaghan Reenascreena Community Online (dead link archived at archive.org, 29 September 2014) was an Irish Fenian leader and member ...
in 1915.
Another local writer was
Pádraic Ó Conaire
Pádraic Ó Conaire (28 February 1882 – 6 October 1928) was an Irish writer and journalist whose production was primarily in the Irish language. In his lifetime he wrote 26 books, 473 stories, 237 essays and 6 plays. His acclaimed novel '' ...
, who wrote 26 books, 473 stories, 237 essays and 6 plays partly set in the region. These included ''M'asal Beag Dubh'' (''My Little Black Donkey'') and the novella ''Deoraíocht'' (''Exile'').
Education
Rosmuc has had a long-term association with ''
Coláiste na bhFiann
Coláiste na bhFiann (CnabhF) is an Irish language summer course for students aged 10–18 years. The company was founded by Domhnall Ó Lubhlaí and the first course was in Rosmuc, County Galway, Ireland in 1968. Since then, fifty thousand stud ...
'', which provides host accommodation for students learning Irish during the summer months.
The local
national (primary) school is named for Saint Briocán.
As of 2020, this
gaelscoil
A Gaelscoil (; plural: ''Gaelscoileanna'') is an Irish language-medium school in Ireland: the term refers especially to Irish-medium schools outside the Irish-speaking regions or Gaeltacht. Over 50,000 students attend Gaelscoileanna at primary an ...
had an enrollment of 37 pupils.
Built heritage
Among the local landmarks is Pearse's Cottage, which attracts up to ten thousand visitors each year. This cottage was built by
Patrick Pearse
Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ga, Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist, republican political activist and revolutionary who ...
(
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 ...
: ''Pádraig Mac Piarais'') in 1909.
Pearse first came to the area in April 1903 as an examiner for
Conradh na Gaeilge
(; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it emer ...
.
Rosmuc and its people made an impression on him, and he decided to build a holiday home on a site overlooking Loch Eiliúrach. Pearse's Cottage later became a summer school for students from Pearse's school in Dublin,
St. Enda's.
The cottage is now open to the public as a heritage site and is a designated
national monument
A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure.
The term may also refer to a spec ...
.
The local Roman Catholic church, ''Séipéal an Ioncolnaithe'', was built in 1844.
Sport and culture
Rosmuc, along with its neighbours Camus and An Sraith Salach, is represented by the ''Na Piarsaigh''
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
club. This club fields
Gaelic football
Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
teams in several competitions. The youth team up to minors are called Carna Caiseal/Na Piarsaigh.
Until 2016, a
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 ...
team, ''Cumann Sacar Naomh Briocain'' represented the area in the Galway district league.
A traditional
Sean-nós dancing festival has historically been held in late January or early February, close to
St. Brigid's Day (1 February). This festival, ''Féile Chóilín Sheáin Dharach'', was established in 2001.
Townlands
Townland
A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...
s in Rosmuc include: Gleann Chatha, An Gort Mór, Inbhear, Turlach, Ros Dubh, An Tamhnaigh Bhig, Snámh Bó, Cill Bhriocáin, An Aill Bhuí, An tOileán Mór, An Turlach Beag, Salalaoi, An Baile Thair, An Siléar, Inis Eilte, An Cladhnach, Cladach ó Dheas, Gairfean, Ros Cíde, Doire Iorrais
Notable people
Notable residents have included:
*
Patrick Pearse
Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ga, Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist, republican political activist and revolutionary who ...
(''Pádraig Mac Piarais''), Irish language activist and revolutionary
*
Caitlín Maude
Caitlín Maude (22 May 1941 – 6 June 1982) was an Irish poet, activist, teacher, actress and traditional singer.
Early life
She was born in Casla, County Galway, and reared in the Irish language. Her mother, Máire Nic an Iomaire, was a ...
, poet, playwright and Irish language activist was raised in Cill Bhriocáin in Rosmuc
*
Proinsias Mac Aonghusa
Proinsias Mac Aonghusa ( en, link=yes, Francis McGuinness; 23 June 1933 – 28 September 2003) was an Irish journalist, writer, TV presenter and campaigner. Born into an Irish-speaking household, Mac Aonghusa became one of the most noted Ir ...
, broadcaster, writer, journalist and former president of
Conradh na Gaeilge
(; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it emer ...
*
Sean (John) Mannion, light-middleweight boxer and later a boxing trainer active in the area.
* Mary Walsh, the mother of
Marty Walsh
Martin Joseph Walsh (born April 10, 1967) is an American politician and former union official. He has been the 29th United States Secretary of Labor since March 23, 2021. A Democrat, he previously served as the 54th mayor of Boston from 2014, ...
, the
Mayor of Boston
The mayor of Boston is the head of the municipal government in Boston, Massachusetts. Boston has a mayor–council government. Boston's mayoral elections are nonpartisan (as are all municipal elections in Boston), and elect a mayor to a four- ...
, is a native of Ros Cíde, a
townland
A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...
near Ros Muc
*
Patrick Nee
Patrick Joseph Nee (born December 22, 1944) is an Irish-American former mobster and Irish republican sympathizer. A former member of the Mullen Gang and the Winter Hill Gang, he is a Vietnam War veteran, and author of ''A Criminal and an Iris ...
, an Irish-American mobster and author from
South Boston, Massachusetts
South Boston is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay. South Boston, colloquially known as Southie, has undergone several demographic transformati ...
, is a native of Rosmuc
*
Linda Bhreathnach
Linda Bhreathnach is an Irish writer, director and actress.
From Ros Muc, Conamara in the west of Ireland, Bhreathnach wrote and directed short film ''Adulting''
Among other awards Linda's film 'Adulting' won best short film at the London I ...
, actress and director, was born and raised in Rosmuc
References
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora
Towns and villages in County Galway
Gaeltacht places in County Galway
Gaeltacht towns and villages
Articles on towns and villages in Ireland possibly missing Irish place names