County Roscommon

County Roscommon Contae Ros Comáin
Coat of arms
Motto: Constans Hiberniae Cor  (Latin) "Steadfast Irish heart"
Country	Ireland
Province	Connacht
Dáil Éireann	Roscommon–South Leitrim
EU Parliament	Midlands–North-West
County town	Roscommon
Government
• Type	County Council
Area
• Total	2,548 km^2 (984 sq mi)
Area rank	11th
Population (2011)	64,065
• Rank	27th
Vehicle index mark code	RN
Website	www.roscommoncoco.ie

County Roscommon (Irish: Contae Ros Comáin) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the province of Connacht, and also the West Region. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon comes from the Irish Ros meaning a wooded, gentle height and Comán, the name of the founder, first abbot and bishop of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 64,065 according to the 2011 census.^[1]

Geography and political subdivisions

Roscommon Castle.

Roscommon is the eleventh largest of the 32 counties of Ireland by area and the fifth least-populous county in Ireland. It has an area of 984 square miles.^[2] It has the second least population density after Leitrim.^[3] It is the third largest of Connacht’s five counties by size and fourth largest in terms of population. The county borders every other Connacht county - Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim, as well as three Leinster counties - Longford, Westmeath and Offaly. In 2008, a news report said that statistically, Roscommon has the longest life expectancy of any county on the island of Ireland.^[4] Lough Key in north Roscommon is noted for having thirty-two islands. The geographical centre of Ireland is located in the county.^[5]

Baronies

There are nine historical baronies in County Roscommon.

North Roscommon

• Boyle (north Roscommon including Boyle and Arigna).
• Frenchpark (north-west, including Ballaghaderreen and Frenchpark).
• Roscommon (mid-north-east, including Tulsk).
• Castlereagh (west, including Castlerea and Ballinlough).
• Ballintober North (east including Rooskey and Tarmonbarry).

South Roscommon

• Ballymoe shared with County Galway includes Ballymoe, Creggs and Glenamaddy.
• Ballintober South (south-mid-east, including Roscommon).
• Athlone (mid-south, including Knockcroghery and part of Athlone).
• Moycarn (far-south, including part of Ballinasloe).

History

River Suck at Athleague.

Rathcroghan (Rath Cruachán), near Tulsk, a complex of archaeological sites, the home of Queen Medb (Méadhbh, Maeve), was the seat of Kings of Connacht and then to the High Kings of Ireland. This was the starting point of the Táin Bó Cúailnge, or Cattle Raid of Cooley, an epic tale in Irish mythology.

County Roscommon as an administrative division has its origins in the medieval period. With the conquest and division of the Kingdom of Connacht, those districts in the east retained by King John as "The King's Cantreds" covered County Roscommon, and parts of East Galway. These districts were leased to the native kings of Connacht and eventually became the county. In 1585 during the Tudor re-establishment of counties under the Composition of Connacht, Roscommon was established with the South-west boundary now along the River Suck.

Ordnance survey

Strokestown Park House

John O'Donovan (1806–61), historian and scholar, visited County Roscommon in 1837. He was compiling information for the ordnance survey. Entering St. Peter's parish in Athlone in June 1837, he wrote 'I have now entered upon a region totally different from Longford, and am very much pleased with the intelligence of the people'. But he had major problems with place-names. He later wrote, 'I am sick to death's door of lochawns, and it pains me to the very soul to have to make these remarks, but what can I do when I cannot make the usual progress? Here I am stuck in the mud in the middle of Loughs, Turlaghs, Lahaghs and Curraghs, the names of many of which are only known to a few old men in their immediate neighbourhood and I cannot give many of them utterance from the manner in which they are spelled'.^[6][7]

The River Shannon running through Athlone town.

Government and politics

Roscommon is governed locally by the 26 member Roscommon County Council.

For general elections, Roscommon forms part of the three seat Roscommon-South Leitrim constituency.

Sport

Gaelic football is the dominant sport in Roscommon. Roscommon GAA have won 2 All-Ireland Senior Football Championships in 1943 and 1944 and a National Football League Division 1 in 1979 and Division 2 in 2015. Roscommon GAA play home games at Dr. Hyde Park and are close rivals with neighbouring county side, Mayo.

Roscommon has less success in hurling, their main hurling title is the 2007 Nicky Rackard Cup.

People

• Luke O'Connor, the first soldier to receive the Victoria Cross, born in Elphin in 1831.
• Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian, born in Boyle.
• John Fitzgibbon (1845-1919) - Member of Parliament.
• Baron de Freyne, landlords and residents of Frenchpark House.
• Douglas Hyde (1860–1949) - an Irish scholar of the Irish language who served as the first President of Ireland from 1938 to 1945. He founded the Gaelic League, one of the most influential cultural organisations in Ireland. Hyde was born in Castlerea on 17 January 1860 and is buried in the Hyde Museum, Frenchpark, Roscommon.
• Percy French (1854–1920) - one of Ireland's foremost songwriters and entertainers. He has also become recognised for his watercolour paintings.
• Henry Gore-Browne, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• William Griffiths, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Sir Owen Lloyd, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Brian O'Doherty, an Irish writer, artist, and art critic in New York City, born in Ballaghaderreen
• Maureen O'Sullivan, Ireland's first international movie star, was born in Boyle, County Roscommon.
• Brian Leyden, Irish novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and documentarian
• Thomas Heazle Parke, Irish explorer, born in Clogher House.
• Sir William Wilde, eminent surgeon and innovator and father of Oscar Wilde. Born in Castlerea.

Twinning

County Roscommon is twinned with Tucson, Arizona, United States and Castle Point, Essex, England.^[8]

See also

• List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Roscommon)
• Counties of Ireland
• Lord Lieutenant of Roscommon
• High Sheriff of Roscommon
• Earl of Roscommon

References

1. Census 2011 - County Roscommon Overview
2. http://www.irelandwide.com/regional/connaught/county_roscommon/coroscommon_main.htm. Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. Corry, Eoghan (2005). The GAA Book of Lists. Hodder Headline Ireland. pp. 186–191.
4. "Roscommon tops life expectancy study". RTÉ News. Dublin: RTÉ Commercial Enterprises. 12 August 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
5. http://www.osi.ie/en/faq/faq3.aspx
6. Hunt, Roy, 'Painful progress: the slow evolution of County Roscommon society, 1850-1914'. Unpublished Thesis, 2010, NUIG p. 8
7. John O' Donovan, 'letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the County of Roscommon, collected during the progress of the ordnance survey, 1837. p. 5. Special collections section, National University of Ireland, Galway, 2009 reproduced by Rev. Michael O'Flanagan, Bray 1927
8. Twinning

External links

• Official site - County Council
• Tourism Information
• Tulsk Visitor Centre
• Map of Roscommon
• Roscommon publications, documents & ephemera site
• Rathcroghan, Celtic Royal site of Connacht

Coordinates: 53°45′N 8°15′W / 53.750°N 8.250°W