Roscommon

Coordinates: 53°38′00″N 8°11′00″W / 53.6333°N 8.1833°W / 53.6333; -8.1833
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Roscommon (disambiguation).

Roscommon
Ros Comáin
Town
Latin: Constans Hiberniae Cor
"Steadfast Irish heart"
Roscommon is located in Ireland
Roscommon
Roscommon
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°38′00″N 8°11′00″W / 53.6333°N 8.1833°W / 53.6333; -8.1833
CountryIreland
ProvinceConnacht
CountyRoscommon
Area
 • Total8 km2 (3 sq mi)
Elevation
80 m (260 ft)
Population
 (2022)[1]
 • Total6,555
 • Density734.5/km2 (1,902/sq mi)
Irish Grid ReferenceM879648

Roscommon (/rɒsˈkɒmən/; Irish: Ros Comáin, meaning 'Saint Coman's wood'; IPA:ˌɾˠɔsˠˈkɔmˠaːnʲ) is the county town and the largest town in County Roscommon in Ireland. It is roughly in the centre of Ireland, near the meeting of the N60, N61 and N63 roads.

The name Roscommon is derived from

anglicised to Roscommon. Its population at the 2022 census was 6,555.[1]

History

Roscommon was the homeland of the

O'Conor, O'Connor), Mac Diarmada (McDermott), Ó Ceallaigh (Kelly), Ó Birn (Beirne, Byrne, Burns), Mac Donnchadha (McDonough
) and Brennan (Mac Branáin and Ó Branáin).

From 1118 to 1156 Roscommon was the seat of the Diocese of Elphin.[2][3][4]

The town is the location of a notable archaeological find in 1945 when a gold lunula and two gold discs were discovered. Both items are dated to the period 2300 and 1800 BC.[5]

Architecture

Roscommon Castle, aerial view

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

Justiciar of Ireland, on lands he had seized from the Augustinian Priory.[6] 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

Confederate Catholics
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.[7]

Harrison Hall, former courthouse and market house, now a bank

Harrison Hall is located prominently in the market square and is now occupied by the

catholic church
in 1863. After 1903 it became a recreational hall to commemorate 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 was designed by Richard Cassells and completed in 1745.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10]
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.

Former Presbyterian Church, now the county museum and tourist office
Former Presbyterian Manse, now a restaurant and guesthouse

Sheela na Gig
from Rahara church.

St. Coman's Church of Ireland

St Coman's Church is a Church of Ireland church constructed in 1775.[11]

Roscommon Abbey
Effigy of King Felim Ua Conchobair in Roscommon Abbey

Irish wars of the Later Middle Ages. 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

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 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.[12]

Roscommon Courthouse in the early 20th century

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.[13][14] The courthouse was severely damaged by fire in 1882 and was restored later in the 1880s.[14] 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 (then known as an infirmary). It is a 3-storey over basement limestone structure. Two symmetrical wings flank the north and south end of a central portion. The right hand wing was traditionally used as the surgeons house. It was used as a hospital until 1941. Major reconstruction work was undertaken in 1989 and the building was refitted as the County Library.[15]

Roscommon Barracks is located at the south end of the town, close to the railway station. It was designed as a military barracks by Pierce Archbold. It is the only William and Mary style building in the town, having commenced building in 1702 and having entered operation by 1704. In the late 19th century, it was converted for use as a police barracks by the RIC. It became vacant when the police barracks was moved to the site of the disused gaol beside the courthouse on Abbey Street, and in 1907 it was purchased for use as a residence by William and Mary Jane Black. William Black was an auctioneer and was appointed as magistrate for County Roscommon in 1917. During the 20th century, the building became vacant again, and was purchased by Roscommon County Council. It is now in a dilapidated condition.[16]

The Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart

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 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.[17] This replica was stolen from the church in May 2016, and remains missing to this day.[18]

Former workhouse, now the Sacred Heart Home

paupers but housed up to 1,600 people during the famine years.[19]

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 opened on 13 February 1860,[20] and offers direct rail services to all stations on the Dublin-Westport railway line, with indirect connections to the Ballina, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford lines.

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.[21]

The nearest airport is

Ireland West Airport Knock
, about a one-hour drive away.

Health and education

Roscommon University Hospital

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.[22][23]

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.[24][25]

There are three secondary schools in Roscommon, namely, the Convent of Mercy, the Christian Brothers School and Roscommon Community College.[26][27][28] Roscommon Community College also offers post-leaving-certificate courses.[29]

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.[30]
  • Roscommon's Easter parade takes place every Easter Sunday.[31]
  • Roscommon is the setting for the once-famous song, She was Plucking a Duck by the Old River Suck by Bert Flynn.[32] Flynn and his band were regular features in the dance halls of Roscommon in the 1940s and 1950s.[33]
  • 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.[34][35][36][37][38]
  • The Secret Scripture, award-winning novel by Sebastian Barry, is set in Roscommon.[39]

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 1.6 km (0.99 mi) from the town centre is a woodland area covering several miles and is popular with walkers.[40]
  • 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 6,390 meters (6,990 yards).[41]
  • Dr Hyde Park named after Douglas Hyde (First president of Ireland) is a GAA stadium with a capacity of 25,000[42] and is home to the Roscommon county football and hurling teams and Roscommon Gaels GAA club.
  • Roscommon Racecourse is a horse racing course, which is situated approximately 1.6 km (0.99 mi) from the town centre, the track itself is an oblong right-handed track 2 km (1.2 mi) in length, and the course has stabling for up to 95 horses.[43]
  • Roscommon Leisure Centre opened early 2002 and has a 25 m (82 ft) deck level pool with a learner swimming pool and spectator gallery and fully equipped gymnasium.[44] 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
  • Roscommon Arts Centre is a multidisciplinary arts facility containing an auditorium and which hosts theatre, dance, music, visual art, comedy and literature events.[45]

Annalistic references

Various annals (historical records) were compiled by Irish monks up to the early 18th century. Roscommon is mentioned in the:

The following are the records relating to Roscommon in the Irish 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 [was promulgated] 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 [died].

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, [died].

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

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Republic of Ireland

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Interactive Data Visualisations: Towns: Roscommon". Census 2022. Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Diocese of Elphin, Ireland". GCatholic. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  3. ^ O'Hart, John (1880). "Appendix: Ecclesiastical Divisions". Irish Pedigrees (2nd ed.). Dublin: M. H. Gill & Son. p. 360.
  4. ^ Warner, Ferdinando (1770). "Introduction". The History of Ireland. Vol. I. Dublin: James Williams. p. 22.
  5. ^ Saint Coman of Roscommon:A Sixth-Century East Galway Missionary, Joseph Mannion, in Gurteen Journal 2005, pp. 17–19.
  6. ^ Exploring Roscommon Castle in Medieval Times
  7. ^ "Roscommon Castle - The History of a National Landmark" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  8. ^ "Buildings".
  9. ^ "Buildings".
  10. ^ Roscommon Jail Building
  11. ^ "Saint Coman's Church (Roscommon), Henry Street, BALLYPHEASAN, Roscommon, ROSCOMMON".
  12. ^ The Dominican Friary of Roscommon
  13. ^ "Buildings".
  14. ^ a b Roscommon People, 26 August 2016, pages 20-21, available at https://issuu.com/roscommonpeople/docs/2016.08.26
  15. ^ Roscommon Library Building
  16. ^ Delany, V. Roscommon Barracks (available at https://www.roscommoncoco.ie/en/services/community/heritage/in-this-together-roscommon-heritage-online/roscommon-barracks-by-vincent-delany.pdf)
  17. ^ The Sacred Heart Church
  18. ^ "Anger as replica Cross of Cong stolen from Church". 26 May 2016.
  19. ^ Roscommon Workhouse
  20. ^ "Roscommon station" (PDF). Railscot — Irish Railways. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 August 2006. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  21. ^ Bus Éireann Timetable - Route 461
  22. ^ Roscommon Hospital
  23. ^ Sacred Heart Home
  24. ^ "| St. Comán's Wood Primary School". Comanswoodprimary.ie. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  25. ^ "Sonraí Teagmhála/ Contact details".
  26. ^ "Convent of Mercy". Rosconvent.ie. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  27. ^ "CBS Roscommon – Abbeytown Roscommon". Cbsroscommon.ie. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  28. ^ "Contact - Roscommon Community College".
  29. ^ "Roscommon Community College".
  30. ^ Roscommon Lamb Festival
  31. ^ Roscommon Easter Parade
  32. ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third Series (1956) Library of Congress Copyright Office
  33. ^ Astor Ballroom, Roscommon
  34. ^ "Hanna Greally was incarcerated in an Irish psychiatric hospital".
  35. ^ "Flown the Nest".
  36. ^ "Radio programme explores the life and legacy of Hanna Greally – Roscommon People – The People's Paper". Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  37. ^ "Remembering Hanna Greally". RTE.ie. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  38. ^ "Hanna Greally (1925-87)". www.ricorso.net. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  39. ^ O'Hagan, Sean (27 April 2008). "Ireland's past is another country". Culture. The Guardian. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  40. ^ Mote Park Heritage Walkway
  41. ^ Roscommon Golf Club website
  42. ^ "Connacht Final for Dr Hyde Park?". Roscommon People. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  43. ^ Racecourse website
  44. ^ Leisure Centre website
  45. ^ "Roscommon Arts Centre". 6 April 2019.
  46. ^ "Annals of Inisfallen".
  47. ^ "Annals of the Four Masters".
  48. ^ "Annals of Loch Cé A.D.1014-1590".
  49. ^ "The Annals of Ulster".
  50. ^ "Tucson Sister Cities". Interactive City Directory. Sister Cities International. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  51. ^ "Chartrettes France". Roscommon Twinnings. Roscommon.ie. 1998. Retrieved 18 March 2015.

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Roscommon.
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