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 th ...
,
Ireland. The village is home to a retired monastery of the same name and is at the southern shore of
Lough Melvin, home to two rare species of
trout – the ''
Gillaroo'' 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'' morp ...
. 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 ...
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
Annaly is an Irish lordship and former principality, named for its conqueror Angaile, or An Uillin, ancestor of the Ó Fearghail.
The territory of Annaly coincides with modern County Longford and was conquered in the 10th century by An Uillin, ...
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 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 Iris ...
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 largest urban cent ...
.
See also
*
List of towns and villages in Ireland
*
Aber and Inver (placename elements)
References
{{County Leitrim
Towns and villages in County Leitrim