Rossinver or Rosinver () is a small village in north

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...

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 ...

. The village is home to a retired monastery of the same name and is at the southern shore of

Lough Melvin Lough Melvin ( ; ) is a lake in the northwest of the island of Ireland on the border between County Leitrim (in Ireland) and County Fermanagh (in the United Kingdom). It is internationally renowned for its unique range of plants and animals. Ec ...

, home to two rare species of

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

– the ''

Gillaroo Gillaroo (''Salmo stomachicus''}; historically included in ) is a variety of trout which eats primarily snails and is only proven to inhabit Lough Melvin in Ireland. The name gillaroo is derived from the Irish for "red fellow" (); this is due t ...

'' and the ''Sonaghan'' – as well as the common

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...

. There is a fishery at Eden Quay and boats and gillies are available locally. There is a mile-long river walk to Fowley's Falls on the Glenaniff River which follows a series of waterfalls.

History

The first church on the site was founded by Saint Máedóc of Ferns who died in Country Leitrim circa 632. Before he died, Saint Máedóc made the

Connachta The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western province of Connacht (Irish ''Cúige Chonnacht'', province, literally "f ...

nobleman Fearghus Mac Ailill his hereditary heir to Rosinver Abbey and Fearghus was the first Abbot of Rosinver. The Ó Fearghuis later left County Leitrim to conquer the territory of Annaly in the neighbouring

County Longford County Longford ( gle, Contae an Longfoirt) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 46,6 ...

. A 9th century grave slab lies in the church yard and Lisdarush Iron Age Fort and Abbey are nearby. The church is located on the north-eastern side of a graveyard which has a number of cross slabs of Early Christian date and a slab bearing rock art and a fragment of trefoil-headed arcading among the much later burial monuments of the second millennium. As for much of the Irish monasteries, Rosinver Abbey was dissolved in the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century. MacClancy Castle, also nearby, was a place of refuge on Lough Melvin for survivors and shipwrecked sailors from the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...

of 1588. There is a related plaque at the lakeside. Rosinver Abbey has otherwise been known throughout history as Gubalaun Abbey or St. Mogue’s Church (Mogue being a pet name for Saint Máedóc). The church is a dilapidated medieval masonry building undergoing conservation works as of 2020.

Transport

On Fridays

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidia ...

route 470 provides a link to

Manorhamilton Manorhamilton () is the second-largest town in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located on the N16 from Sligo and from Enniskillen. History Before the Plantations of Ireland, the settlement was known, and continues to be known in the Ir ...

to connect with the express 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 ...

References

{{County Leitrim Towns and villages in County Leitrim

History

Transport

See also

References