Roscommon

History

Architecture

• 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, on lands he had seized from the Augustinian Priory. The castle had a most chequered history. It was besieged by Connacht King Aodh Ó Conchobhair in 1272.
• 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, it was remodeled in 1762 by Sir William Morrison and converted into a court house and market house. It is built in the classical architectural style with a cupola. It became a catholic church in 1863. After 1903 it became a recreational hall to commemorate Dr John Harrison 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 Harrisson 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 The gaol had the distinction of having a hang woman, 'Lady Betty', a criminal who had her sentence withdrawn on the provision that she perform the unpaid task of hang woman.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. In 1833 it became a 'Lazaretto' – a place where outcasts who suffered from smallpox were confined. Some time 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.
• County Museum and Tourism Office is located next to Harrison hall in the town square. It was originally a small Presbyterian church built in 1863. 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 artifacts illustrating and interpreting the history of Roscommon. Among the artifacts on display are a 9th-century grave slab from St Comans Abbey and a Sheela na Gig from Rahara church.
• 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 Felim O'Connor of Connacht, who was buried there himself in 1265. The effigy in a niche on the north side of the chancel is either that of himself, 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 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. 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.
• Roscommon Courthouse is located on Abbey Street. It was built in 1832 adjacent to the new gaol to replace the previous courthouse, which is now known as Harrison Hall and which currently houses a branch of the Bank of Ireland. 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, 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. It is a 3-storey over basement limestone 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.
• 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 contains a replica of the Cross of Cong, the original of which was made in Fuerty between 1120 and 1123.
• Sacred Heart Home, a former 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 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 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 work house was designed for 700 paupers but housed up to 1,600 people during the famine years.

  Transport

• 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 and Dublin Heuston. A change of train at Athlone connects with Athenry 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 about a one-hour drive away.

  Health and education

• 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, and three secondary schools some of which also offer post-leaving cert courses. The two primary schools are St. Coman's Wood Primary School and Gaelscoil de híde. The Convent of Mercy, The Christian Brothers Secondary School and Roscommon Community College are the secondary schools. Most of the schools in the town are located near each other, and are easily accessible. Gaelscoil de híde is located on the Galway Road. Roscommon Community College is located in Lisnamult.

  Events and popular culture

• Roscommon Lamb Festival takes place on the first weekend of May each year. 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 Easter parade takes place every Easter Sunday.

  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 named after Douglas Hyde is a GAA stadium with a capacity of 25,000 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 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 winning handballers and world champion handballers.

  Annalistic references

• M777.5 Aedhan, Abbot of Ros Comain, died.
• M774.5 Forbhasach, son of Maeltola, Abbot of Ros Comain, died.
• AI782.2 Repose of Aed, abbot of Ros Comáin.
• M788.12 The law of St. Comman by Aeldobhair, i.e. Abbot of Ros Commain, and by Muirgheas, throughout the three divisions of Connaught.
• M813.4.... Siadhail, Abbot and Bishop of Ros Commain, died.
• U830.7 Ioseph son of Nechtain, abbot of Ros Comáin, rested.
• M872.2 Aedh, son of Fianghus, Abbot of Ros Comain, bishop and distinguished scribe .
• M914.4.... Martin, Abbot of Ros-Commain, died.
• M925.6.... Donnghal of Ros-Commain, died.
• M1028.3 Gillachrist, son of Dubhchuillinn, a noble priest of Ard-Macha, died at Ros-Commain.
• M1155.2... Fearghal Ua Finachta, a noble priest of Ross-Commain,.
• LC1265.6 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.
• LC1564.2 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.

  International relations

Twin towns

• Tucson, Arizona, United States
• Chartrettes, France