Roscommon (; Irish: Ros Comáin, meaning 'Saint Coman's wood'; pronounced [ɾˠɔsˠ ˈkɔmˠaːnʲ]) 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 town is in a civil parish of the same name.
The name Roscommon is derived from Commán mac Faelchon who built a monastery there in the 5th century. The woods near the monastery became known as Ros Comáin (St. Coman's Wood). This was later anglicised to Roscommon. Its population at the 2022 census was 6,555.
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History
Roscommon was the homeland of the Connachta dynasty, and included such kingdoms as Uí Maine, Delbhna Nuadat, Síol Muirdeach, and Moylurg. In addition, it contained areas known as Trícha cét's, Túath and is the homeland of surnames such as Ó Conchobhair (O'Conor, O'Connor), Mac Diarmada (McDermott), Ó Ceallaigh (Kelly), Ó Birn (Beirne, Byrne, Burns), Ó Duibh (Duff, Duffy, and Dufficy), Mac Donnchadha (McDonough) and Brennan (Mac Branáin and Ó Branáin).
From 1118 to 1156 Roscommon was the seat of the Diocese of Elphin.
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.
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.
Eight years later it was again in the hands of an English garrison, and fully repaired. By 1340 the O'Connor's regained possession of it, and, except for a few brief intermissions, they held it for two centuries until 1569, when Sir Henry Sidney, Lord Deputy seized it. It was granted to Sir Nicholas Malbie, Elizabethan Governor of Connaught, in 1578. Two years later the interior was remodelled and large mullioned windows were inserted in the towers and curtain walls. Again, in 1641 the Parliamentarian faction gained it until 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.
Harrison Hall is located prominently in the market square and is now occupied by the Bank of Ireland. Most of the ground floor was originally open to the public as a market hall with a Sessions room above. A 17th-century sessions house was originally located on the same site. Following a partial collapse of the two-storey sessions house, it was rebuilt in 1762 by Ensor brothers as a courthouse and market house. It is built in the classical architectural style. After 1863, it was adapted for use as a Catholic Church, a cupola was added. 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. 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. Sometime 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.
Transport
Roscommon railway station opened on 13 February 1860, 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.
The nearest airport is Ireland West Airport, 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, namely, St Coman's Wood Primary School (which was formed after Scoil Mhuire Primary School and Abbey National School combined) and Gaelscoil de hÍde.
There are three secondary schools in Roscommon, namely, the Convent of Mercy, the Christian Brothers School and Roscommon Community College. Roscommon Community College also offers post-leaving-certificate courses.
Events
Roscommon Lamb Festival takes place on the first weekend of May each year (the May bank holiday weekend). It aims to showcase locally produced food and includes a number of barbecues, craft sales and novelty events. Roscommon's Easter parade takes place every Easter Sunday.
Popular culture
Roscommon is the setting for the song, She was Plucking a Duck by the Old River Suck by Bert Flynn. Flynn and his band were regular features in the dance halls of Roscommon in the 1940s and 1950s.
The Secret Scripture, a novel by Sebastian Barry, is set in Roscommon. 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.
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.
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).
Dr Hyde Park named after Douglas Hyde (First president of Ireland) 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 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.
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. 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 is a multidisciplinary arts facility containing an auditorium and which hosts theatre, dance, music, visual art, comedy and literature events.
Annalistic references
Various annals (historical records) were compiled by Irish monks up to the early 18th century. Roscommon is mentioned in the:
Annals of Inisfallen (AI)
Annals of the Four Masters (M)
Annals of Loch Cé (LC)
Annals of Ulster (U)
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.
Twin towns – sister cities
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Chartrettes, France