Our County · Our Heritage

The outline of County Roscommon, filled with the county coat of arms. The northern third is green and carries a gold cross and a crown above a gold crescent; the longer southern part is blue and carries a white ram’s head, an oak branch with acorns and three gold-edged river waves. A gold rope runs round the whole boundary.

Heritage Guide

Fáilte go Ros Comáin

A county once ruled by ancient kings and shaped by centuries of history.

Tap to listen

Go to contents

Contents

Jump to any section or card below.

Find out where inside …

These clues point to the people and places that shaped the county – and sometimes Ireland itself. Every one of them is somewhere in this guide.

  1. A powerful queen whose legendary cattle raid began right here in Connacht’s royal heart.
  2. A president who gave Ireland back its native voice and helped make history from a small Roscommon village.
  3. A spring whose water, people swore, would never come to the boil no matter how long you held it over the fire.
  4. A family whose roots stretch from the High Kings of Connacht to one of the county’s finest houses today.
  5. A blind harper who walked the roads of Ireland for forty years, and whose tunes are still played three centuries on.
  6. A woman refused her qualification because of who she was, who did the job across the west of Ireland for twenty years before anyone would sign the paper.
  7. An opening in a field barely wide enough to crawl through, which people once believed led straight to the Otherworld.
  8. A letter written by starving tenant farmers in 1846, still kept in the house they sent it to.
Back to top

Welcome to

County Roscommon

Fáilte go Contae Ros Comáin

An aerial view of a small wooded island in the middle of a wide blue lake. A ruined castle with a square tower stands among the trees, its walls covered in ivy. Wooded shores and low hills lie beyond.
i
Castle Island in Lough Key. A family called the McDermotts had a castle on this island. It was first written about over 800 years ago.

Tap to listen

A map of Ireland with County Roscommon shaded red, sitting inland and slightly north of the centre, well away from any coast.

Roscommon is a landlocked county in the west of Ireland, in the province of Connacht. It is known for its rolling pastures, winding rivers, peaceful lakes and ancient heritage.

Roscommon borders Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Longford, Westmeath and Offaly, and although it has no coastline, it boasts Ireland’s longest stretch of River Shannon shoreline – over 140 kilometres.

Ros Comáin means ‘Comán’s Wood’, named after St Comán, who founded a monastery here over 1,300 years ago. His settlement grew into the modern county town of Roscommon, and his name still echoes through the landscape today.

County Fact File
The Roscommon county crest: a shield with a green upper section carrying a gold crown, and a blue lower section with a white ram’s head and a green oak branch with acorns. A gold cross stands above it and two gold scrolls beneath read Constans Hiberniae Cor and Ros Comáin.
Population
70,259 (2022 census)
Population rank
26th
Area
2,548 km²
Area rank
11th
County town
Roscommon town (population 12,957 – 2022 census)
Principal towns
Roscommon town (6,555), Boyle (2,915), Ballaghaderreen (2,387), Castlerea (2,348)
County colours
Blue and yellow
Vehicle registration
RN
Nickname
The Rossies
Highest point
Seltannasaggart, near the Leitrim border, at 428 metres
Principal rivers
The Shannon, the Suck and the Boyle River, with Lough Key and many smaller loughs
The County Crest

Crest and Motto

The Roscommon coat of arms was granted in 1951 and shows what makes the county special. The Latin motto ‘Constans Hiberniae Cor’ means ‘The Steadfast Heart of Ireland’, showing Roscommon’s strong place at the centre of the country.

The green top section stands for the ‘ros’, a wooded height that gave Roscommon its name.

The cross links to Saint Comán and the county’s ancient abbeys.

The crown reminds us of Rathcroghan, home of the kings of Connacht.

The ram’s head represents sheep farming and the native Roscommon sheep.

The oak branch honours Douglas Hyde from Roscommon, Ireland’s first president.

Back to top

Your County, Your Heritage

Roscommon has more than 7,000 archaeological monuments spread across it, from court tombs built by the first farmers to the mining works of the last century. These are the forty-four places this guide will take you to.

A map of County Roscommon, long and narrow, running north to south, with 44 small numbered markers spread across it.
i
The 44 places in this guide. Find a number on the map, then look it up in the list below.
  1. 1Knockranny Court Tomb
  2. 2Mihanboy Portal Tomb
  3. 3Knockanyconor Portal Tomb
  4. 4Rathcroghan
  5. 5Roscommon Castle
  6. 6Rindoon Castle
  7. 7Dunamon Castle
  8. 8Ballintober Castle
  9. 9Galey Castle
  10. 10Lough O’Flynn Crannóg
  11. 11Cloonfree Moated Site
  12. 12Rathra
  13. 13Boyle Abbey
  14. 14Roscommon Abbey
  15. 15Tulsk Abbey
  16. 16Cloonshanville Abbey
  17. 17King House
  18. 18Strokestown House
  19. 19Clonalis House
  20. 20Castlecoote House
  21. 21Edmondstown House
  22. 22Elphin Windmill
  23. 23Castle Island, Lough Key
  24. 24Lough Key Forest and Activity Park
  25. 25National Famine Museum
  26. 26Castlerea Railway Museum
  27. 27Clay Pipe Workshop & Visitor Centre
  28. 28Arigna Mining Experience
  29. 29Douglas Hyde Centre
  30. 30John McGahern Barracks
  31. 31Rathcroghan Visitor Centre
  32. 32Roscommon County Museum
  33. 33Bluebell Wood
  34. 34The Battle of Curlew Pass
  35. 35The Connaught Rangers
  36. 36Napoleonic Fort
  37. 37Gallowglass Warriors
  38. 38Derryglad Folk Museum
  39. 39Drum Heritage Centre
  40. 40Ogulla Holy Well
  41. 41Sraduff Holy Well
  42. 42St Diarmuid’s Holy Well
  43. 43St Lasair’s Holy Well
  44. 44Brideswell Holy Well

Scroll the list · numbers match the map

Did You Know?
A wide lake under a pale sky, with low wooded shores on both sides.

Roscommon borders Lough Allen and Lough Ree, two of the three great lakes on the River Shannon. The River Suck forms much of the western boundary, and the two rivers meet at the very southern tip of the county.

Back to top

A Note from the Heritage Officer

Nollaig Feeney, Heritage Officer for Roscommon County Council, smiling at the camera.

Get ready to explore the amazing heritage of County Roscommon – a place full of stories, secrets and surprises waiting just for you.

Roscommon is bursting with treasures from the past and wonders of nature. Have you ever seen a castle that’s hundreds of years old? Or walked through a forest where ancient kings might have hunted? From the mighty monuments of Rathcroghan to the peaceful beauty of Lough Key Forest Park, this county is packed with exciting places to discover.

But heritage isn’t just about buildings and landscapes – it’s also about people, traditions and culture! In Roscommon, you’ll find tales of brave warriors, clever queens and magical creatures.

Whether it’s exploring mysterious ringforts, spotting wildlife in the bogs or learning how our place names tell secrets from our past, there’s something for everyone. So grab your explorer’s hat and let’s dive into the heart of Roscommon – where every stone, tree and field has a tale to tell!

Nollaig

Nollaig Feeney, Heritage Officer, Roscommon County Council

Back to top

A Timeline of Our County’s Heritage

From ancient tombs to living communities, Roscommon’s story is still unfolding.

Tap to listen

First farmers to the Iron Age

  1. c. 3500 BC

    Knockranny Court Tomb and Mihanboy Portal Tomb built by early farmers

  2. c. 3200 BC

    The earliest identifiable communities came to settle at Rathcroghan

  3. c. 2300–1800 BC

    A curved gold crescent ornament beside two small gold discs.
    Coggal Beg Hoard, a collection of gold ornaments from the Bronze Age

  4. c. 500 BC–400 AD

    Continuous use of Rathcroghan as a royal site and ritual centre

  5. c. 400 BC

    Doogarrymore Wheel, a large wooden wheel from the Iron Age

  6. c. 300 BC

    Castlestrange La Tène Stone carved with Celtic designs

  7. c. 100 BC–200 AD

    An aerial view of a broad flat-topped mound ringed by a circular bank, sitting among green fields.
    Rathcroghan features in Ulster Cycle tales as the seat of Queen Medb

Monks, Normans and the end of Gaelic rule

  1. c. 500 AD

    St Comán founds a monastery. Christianity begins to spread across Roscommon

  2. c. 600–1200 AD

    Crannógs and ringforts used for homes and defence

  3. 1161 AD

    Boyle Abbey: a long row of rounded stone arches beside a mown lawn, with the abbey tower behind.
    Boyle Abbey founded by Cistercian monks

  4. 1227–1300s

    Norman castles built: Rindoon (c. 1227), Roscommon (1269), Ballintober (1300s)

  5. 1340s

    Gaelic king Hugh O’Conor linked to Cloonfree moated site and Roscommon Abbey

  6. 1400s

    Smaller abbeys like Tulsk and Cloonshanville established

  7. 1599

    A painted battle scene: horsemen and foot soldiers with pikes and helmets pressing forward through smoke.
    Battle of the Curlews: Irish victory under Red Hugh O’Donnell

  8. 1600s

    End of Gaelic rule. The O’Conors adapt to new landlord roles

  9. 1650s

    Cromwellian plantations reshape land ownership in Roscommon

Big houses to the present day

  1. 1730s–1800s

    Big Houses built: King House, Strokestown Park, Castlecoote

  2. 1793–1920s

    Connaught Rangers active in the British Army from their base in King House

  3. 1840s

    An engraving of families waiting on a shore with their belongings piled around them.
    The Great Famine devastates Roscommon

  4. 1870s–1890s

    Land League and tenant rights campaigns

  5. 1878

    Clonalis House built

  6. 1919–1921

    War of Independence sees IRA activity across Roscommon

  7. 1922–1923

    Civil War brings local conflict and division

  8. 1950s–1980s

    Emigration reshapes Roscommon’s population

  9. 1990s–2000s

    A lit underground tunnel with rough rock walls and a sign reading Arigna, part of the mining experience.
    Local museums open

  10. 2010s–present

    Rathcroghan Visitor Centre continues to promote Roscommon’s ancient heritage

Scroll the timeline · tap a star to light its line

Back to top

Roscommon’s Rich History

Some of what Roscommon’s people made has lasted. Gold, stone, wood, paper. Keep an eye out for these as you go through the guide.

Back to top

Our County’s Geology

From coral-filled seas to powerful glaciers, Roscommon’s geology is packed with clues about the county’s ancient past.

Tap to listen

Back to top

How Roscommon’s Land Was Made

Rough grassland with pale grey limestone breaking through the surface in flat slabs and low ridges.
i
The grey rock here is limestone. The soil on top of it is very thin, so the rock breaks up through the grass.

Geology means learning about rocks and how the land was made. Roscommon’s land is mostly limestone that formed 330 million years ago under a warm, shallow sea. Later, huge sheets of ice moved across the county. When they melted, they left ridges, hills and hollows behind.

That’s why Roscommon has some amazing landforms – shaped by ancient seas, fierce ice and flowing underground water! Here are some fun facts to help you learn about the ground beneath your feet.

  1. A close view of pale grey limestone packed with round fossil corals, each one a ring of fine radiating lines.

    1 of 8

    Under a coral sea

    Millions of years ago this whole area sat under warm, shallow waters filled with coral. The limestone beneath our feet is made from tiny sea creatures and shells that settled on the sea floor.

    1 / 8›

  2. A close view of ice, its surface crazed all over with fine white cracks branching across pale blue.

    2 of 8

    Then the ice came

    About 10,000 years ago, great sheets of ice scraped across the land. When they melted, they left long ridges, rolling hills and deep hollows.

    ‹2 / 8›

  3. Slabs and blocks of grey limestone lying in short grass scattered with yellow dandelions.

    3 of 8

    Karst

    Limestone dissolves slowly in water, creating cracks, caves and underground streams. This special landscape is called karst – and Roscommon has lots of it.

    ‹3 / 8›

  4. A long low ridge of grassy ground running across open country, with pale stone showing through in places.

    4 of 8

    Eskers

    Eskers are long, winding ridges of sand and gravel left by rivers that once flowed under the ice. Some roads in Roscommon follow these ready-made high, dry paths.

    ‹4 / 8›

  5. A view from high ground over a wide plain, with conifers in the foreground and distant hills beyond.

    5 of 8

    A vanished mountain range

    At places like Slieve Bawn and north of Boyle, very old rocks from an ancient ocean floor rise up through the younger limestone layers. They were once part of a vanished mountain range.

    ‹5 / 8›

  6. Flat green fields divided by hedges, rising into low rounded humps that run in the same direction.

    6 of 8

    Drumlins

    Near Boyle you can find drumlins – smooth, rounded hills shaped by the ice. Seen from above they lie in long rows, all pointing the same way, because they were all shaped by ice moving in the same direction.

    ‹6 / 8›

  7. Fields under shallow floodwater, with bare trees standing in the water and grass showing through in patches.

    7 of 8

    Turloughs

    Roscommon has turloughs – seasonal lakes that fill in winter and dry into grassland in summer. Water rises and falls through tiny cracks in the limestone below.

    ‹7 / 8›

  8. A large grey rock in a clearing. It is narrow at the bottom and much wider at the top, so it looks like a giant stone mushroom, with grass and small plants growing on its flat top.>

    8 of 8

    Mushroom stones

    When ancient lakes covered limestone after the Ice Age, water dissolved the rock around tree stumps and boulders, leaving mushroom-shaped stones behind.

    ‹8 / 8

Swipe from 1 to 8

Back to top

Roscommon Was Once Underwater

A high quarry face of grey layered limestone, with a yellow loader parked at its foot for scale.
i
Largan Quarry, near Elphin. Each stripe in the rock face is a layer of limestone, stacked one on top of another. The yellow digger at the bottom shows you how big it is.
A close view of weathered limestone with several short tube-shaped fossils standing proud of the surface, tinged green with algae.

Roscommon’s rocks tell a story millions of years old – from tropical seas to roaring ice sheets and underground rivers. Much of the county sits on Carboniferous Limestone formed in a shallow sea about 330 million years ago, and these seabeds are packed with fossils.