Roscommon

For other uses, see Roscommon (disambiguation).
Roscommon
Ros Comáin
Town

Coat of arms
Motto: Constans Hiberniae Cor
Roscommon

Location in Ireland

Coordinates: 53°38′00″N 8°11′00″W / 53.6333°N 8.1833°W / 53.6333; -8.1833Coordinates: 53°38′00″N 8°11′00″W / 53.6333°N 8.1833°W / 53.6333; -8.1833
Country Ireland
Province Connacht
County County Roscommon
Area
  Town 8 km2 (3 sq mi)
Elevation 80 m (260 ft)
Population (2006)[1]
  Urban 1,677
  Environs 3,340
Irish Grid Reference M879648

Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin, meaning "Saint Coman's wood") is the county town of County Roscommon in Ireland. It is near the meeting of the N60, N61 and N63 roads, putting it roughly in the centre of Ireland.

The name Roscommon is derived from Coman 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 2006 census was 5,017 (including rural area). Despite the town itself having a relatively small population, it caters to about half the population of County Roscommon as Boyle is the only other major town in the county.

History

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

The town is the location of a notable archaeological find in 1945 when a lunula, a gold necklace, and two discs were discovered. Both items are dated to the period 2,300 and 1,800 BC.[2]

Sports and amenities

Architecture

Roscommon Castle
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 remodeled 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.[9]
Harrison Hall, which houses the Bank of Ireland
St. Coman's Church
Usually called the ‘Abbey’, it is more accurately described as a friary, it was created for Dominican friars. During the course of its existence, it experienced many misfortunate events, starting with a fire in 1270, a lightning-strike in 1308, and having 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.[11]
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.

Events and popular culture

Health and education

Roscommon County Hospital

Transport

Notable people from Roscommon

Annalistic references

See Annals of Inisfallen (AI), Annals of the Four Masters (M),

International relations

Twin towns

Roscommon is twinned with:

See also

References

  1. "Census 2006 – Volume 1 – Population Classified by Area" (PDF). Central Statistics Office Census 2006 Reports. Central Statistics Office Ireland. April 2007. Retrieved 2011-05-07.
  2. Saint Coman of Roscommon:A Sixth-Century East Galway Missionary, Joseph Mannion, in Gurteen Journal 2005, pp. 17–19.
  3. Mote Park Heritage Walkway
  4. Roscommon Golf Club website
  5. "Connacht Final for Dr Hyde Park?". Roscommon People. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  6. Racecourse website
  7. Leisure Centre website
  8. Exploring Roscommon Castle in Medieval Times
  9. Roscommon Castle - The History of a National Landmark
  10. Roscommon Jail Building
  11. The Dominican Friary of Roscommon
  12. Roscommon Library Building
  13. The Sacred Heart Church
  14. Roscommon Workhouse
  15. Roscommon Lamb Festival
  16. Roscommon Easter Parade
  17. Roscommon Hospital
  18. Sacred Heart Home
  19. "Roscommon station" (PDF). Railscot — Irish Railways. Retrieved 2015-01-30.
  20. Bus Éireann Timetable - Route 461
  21. "Tucson Sister Cities". Interactive City Directory. Sister Cities International. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  22. "Chartrettes France". Roscommon Twinnings. Roscommon.ie. 1998. Retrieved 18 March 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roscommon.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, May 03, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.