RoscommonRoscommonHeritage Guide

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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.

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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.

Scroll the list · numbers match the map

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.

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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.

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In quarries like Keeloges and Castlemine, geologists find corals, crinoids, brachiopods and gastropods – remains of the marine life that thrived when Ireland lay close to the equator. These fossils show that Roscommon was once underwater and help explain how our bedrock formed and why the landscape looks the way it does today.

Oweynagat – the ‘Cave of the Cats’ – is a real karst cave, formed when water slowly dissolved the limestone beneath Rathcroghan. The entrance is a man-made passage called a souterrain that runs for about 10.5 metres, before opening into a natural limestone tunnel around 37 metres long.

The land shaped the legends – long ago, people believed this hidden underground passage was a gateway to the Otherworld.

The Knockranny Court Tomb, the Mihanboy Portal Tomb and Knockanyconor Portal Tomb, known locally as Nellie’s Rock, are three of these incredible monuments. Made from huge upright stones and carefully placed giant capstones, they were used for burials and may have been important places for gatherings and rituals.

These ancient tombs give us a glimpse into the lives, beliefs and burial customs of Roscommon’s first settlers. They also show how people lived, honoured their dead and worked together to shape the landscape.

High on a hillside near Keadue lies the Knockranny Court Tomb – one of Roscommon’s oldest surviving monuments. Built between 3,500 and 2,000 BC, this tomb features an open ‘court’ made of standing stones, leading into a stone burial chamber. It’s thought to have been used for ceremonies and burials.

The Mihanboy Portal Tomb, built over 5,000 years ago, is made of two large upright stones and a massive capstone forming a doorway into the tomb. It likely served as an important burial site. One portal stone is now missing, but a fallen headstone nearby may once have been part of the original structure.

The Knockanyconor Portal Tomb stands as a silent marker of life over 5,000 years ago. Its two upright stones and collapsed capstone once formed a narrow entrance to a burial chamber.

Locals know it as Nellie’s Rock, after a woman who is said to have taken shelter beneath it and raised a child there some time during the nineteenth century.

Rathcroghan, or Cruachan Aí, is one of Ireland’s most ancient and mysterious royal sites. From early farming times right through to the Iron Age and early Christian period, this sacred landscape was used by generations of people for ritual, rule and storytelling.

The site contains over 240 archaeological features, including burial mounds, ringforts, standing stones and Oweynagat – the Cave of the Cats – which was believed to be an entrance to the Otherworld.

Rathcroghan is not one monument. Its settlement sites, burial places and ceremonial areas are spread across more than six square kilometres of farmland, and most of them are still in fields you can walk past today. The Visitor Centre in the village of Tulsk is where you start.

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According to Irish legend, Rathcroghan was the seat of Queen Medb, a powerful ruler of Connacht, and the starting point of the great cattle raid story Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley).

A long time ago, Ireland was made up of smaller kingdoms, each with its own rulers. Across the country, special places were used for holding important ceremonies, meeting with other leaders and even the crowning of kings and queens. These places are known today as the Royal Sites of Ireland.

There are six of them, and each one played a big role in Irish history. Now, they are being put forward for World Heritage Site status – meaning they could be recognised as treasures for the whole world to celebrate and protect.

The six sites

Just a few kilometres from Rathcroghan stands the Castlestrange La Tène Stone, carved around 300 BC. Its flowing spiral designs are among only a handful of examples of Celtic La Tène art in Ireland.

The patterns, carved into a giant granite boulder, suggest that this area wasn’t just a political centre – it was also a place of art, ceremony and connection to a wider European world.

Standing tall at the edge of Loughnaneane Park in Roscommon town are the ruins of Roscommon Castle – once one of the grandest strongholds in Connacht.

It was built in 1269 by the Normans, under Robert de Ufford, on land taken from a small religious community of monks. From the very start, it was a place of power – but also of conflict.

In the centuries that followed, the castle was attacked, captured, burned and rebuilt many times. Irish kings, English rulers and powerful families all fought for control of it.

In 1340, the O’Conors, the royal family of Connacht, took the castle and made it their own. Later, it was taken by Sir Henry Sidney, and in 1578 it was transformed into a grand residence by Sir Nicholas Malby, with tall windows and towers added.

The castle was finally abandoned after being burned in 1690. Today, its roofless towers and crumbling walls are open to explore, giving visitors a glimpse into a time of knights, kings and stone walls built for battle.

1. 1269

   Castle built by Robert de Ufford, Norman leader of Ireland

2. 1272

   Attacked and captured by King Aodh O’Conor of Connacht

3. 1340

   Taken over by the O’Conor family – held for over 200 years

4. 1569

   Seized by Sir Henry Sidney, English Lord Deputy

5. 1578

   Given to Sir Nicholas Malby, who adds fancy new features

6. 1645

   Captured by Irish Confederate forces

7. 1652

   Damaged by Cromwellian troops

8. 1690

   Burned and abandoned – falls into ruin

9. Today

   A peaceful ruin in a beautiful park, open for you to explore

Roscommon Castle is the one you can walk around. These four are harder to find, and two of them you would drive past without knowing.

One was a whole walled town with a harbour. One is still in use after eight hundred years. One belonged to the family who had once been kings. And one is a single tower on the shore of a lake.

Over 1,400 years ago, people built their homes on man-made islands like this one in Lough O’Flynn. Logs, stones and tree branches were used to raise the island above water level. Timber walkways or canoes helped people get across.

Today it looks like a small wooded island, but archaeologists know it once bustled with life. From cooking fires to farm animals, this crannóg was a secure family home, hidden away in the lake – and safe from enemies.

Imagine approaching Cloonfree 700 years ago – you’d see high timber fences rising from behind a water-filled ditch that circled the entire stronghold. Inside, smoke would rise from the thatched roof of the great hall where Gaelic lords gathered for feasts and important meetings.

The moat wasn’t just for protection – it announced to everyone that this was a place of power and wealth. Today, you can still trace the outline of the earthworks in the landscape, though the timber buildings and water have long disappeared.

Over 1,200 years ago, a powerful family built not just one defensive wall at Rathra – they built several! Workers dug deep ditches and piled the earth into massive banks, creating rings of defence around their timber homes.

Walking through the gates would have been like entering a fortress within a fortress. The outer ring kept enemies at bay, while the inner ring protected the family’s round houses and livestock. Today, you can still clearly see these earthen banks rising from the landscape.

Boyle Abbey is one of the finest examples of a Cistercian monastery in Ireland. Built over 860 years ago, it was home to monks who followed strict rules of silence, hard work and devotion. Monks prayed several times a day, grew their own food and copied manuscripts by hand.

The abbey is full of stunning stone carvings, and you can still see where the monks ate, slept and worked.

1. 1:30 AM

   Wake for Matins, the early-morning prayers, in the cold church

2. 6:00 AM

   Lauds prayers, then work begins. No breakfast – fasting until midday

3. 8:00 AM

   Continue work: farming, copying manuscripts or building

4. 12:00 PM

   Sext prayers, and the main meal of thick vegetable soup. No meat

5. 2:00 PM

   More work, or reading

6. 6:00 PM

   Time for Vespers, the evening prayers, as daylight fades

7. 8:00 PM

   Compline prayers, then bed by candlelight

From the 1600s onwards, wealthy landlords built grand houses across Roscommon. These estates weren’t just homes – they were centres of power. Families like the Kings, Mahons and O’Conors controlled thousands of acres, collected rent from tenant farmers, and shaped local life for generations.

Today, some houses remain family homes while others have opened their doors to reveal the stories – both proud and painful – of Big House Ireland.

King House is one of Ireland’s finest examples of 18th-century architecture. It was the grand home of the powerful King family – landlords, MPs and military officers who controlled vast estates around Boyle.

With sweeping staircases, huge fireplaces and high-ceilinged rooms, it was built to impress. When the King family moved to a bigger house at Lough Key, the house became a military barracks. Soldiers lived in rooms that once hosted elegant dinner parties, and the grand halls echoed with marching boots instead of dancing feet.

Strokestown Park was home to the Mahon family, who owned over 9,000 acres during the Great Famine.

While the family lived in luxury with crystal chandeliers and silk wallpapers, their tenants outside struggled to survive on tiny plots of land. The house has a gallery in its kitchen, where the lady of the house could keep an eye on the cooks.

But it also has a darker story. When hunger struck in 1847, Major Denis Mahon forced over 1,000 tenants off his land, sending them on so-called coffin ships to America. He was later shot dead on a country road.

The O’Conors were once High Kings of Connacht, ruling from nearby Carnfree, Ballintober and Cloonfree. When those ancient days ended, they became landlords instead.

Clonalis House, built in Victorian times, is still home to their descendants today. Inside, you’ll find medieval manuscripts, ancient harps, and letters from famous visitors – making this house a treasure trove of Irish history.

Castlecoote began as a 17th-century fortress, but the Georgian house that replaced it chose elegance over defence.

Built beside the flowing River Suck, it became a peaceful country retreat for landlord families. The house combines old stone walls with graceful Georgian windows and doorways. Its parkland runs down to the water.

Edmondstown was built for country gentlemen who wanted comfort without the grand scale of places like King House.

With its neat proportions and parkland setting, it represented the quieter side of Big House life. Though less grand than its famous neighbours, it played its part in shaping local society.

Not every estate building was a grand house. This stone tower windmill ground wheat and oats for both the landlord’s household and tenant farmers. Its four great sails caught the wind to turn massive grinding stones inside.

When steam mills arrived, windmills like this became obsolete. Elphin’s mill was fully restored, but climate change, heavy rain and high wind in recent storms have badly damaged the sails.

Long before grand Georgian houses dotted the Roscommon landscape, this county was the beating heart of an ancient kingdom. For over 800 years, the O’Conor family ruled as High Kings of Connacht from their royal seat in mid Roscommon.

The O’Conor timeline

1. 900s–1200s

   O’Conor High Kings

2. 1600s

   The old Gaelic world ends

3. 1700s–1800s

   The O’Conors become landlords

4. 1878

   Clonalis House is built

5. Today

   Still home to the O’Conor family

Lough Key Forest Park stands on land once known as Moylurg, seat of the McDermotts from the 12th to the 17th century. Their island stronghold, Castle Island, is recorded in the Annals of Lough Cé in 1184.

When space grew tight, they built a second residence on the mainland where the Moylurg Tower now stands.

After the Cromwellian period the estate passed to the King family, who renamed it Rockingham. They hired architect John Nash in 1809–10 to redesign the estate, including Rockingham House, the ‘tiara’ gate lodge and the fairy bridge.

Landscaper John Sutherland shaped the parkland to appear natural while framing views of the lake and islands. Rockingham House was destroyed by fire in 1957 and its remains were demolished in 1971.

The estate today is a mixture of broadleaf forest, conifer woodland and wetland habitats. Ash, oak, beech and sycamore trees stand alongside Scots pine, Sitka spruce and western red cedar. Spring brings carpets of bluebells, wild garlic and primroses.

Wildlife thrives here: fallow deer, foxes and red squirrels move through the trees, while herons, swans and tufted ducks patrol the lakeshore. Kingfishers, wrens and robins are often seen along the canals.

Castle Island sits out in Lough Key, and there has been a stronghold on it for more than 800 years. It was the island home of the McDermotts, and it is named in the Annals of Lough Cé as far back as 1184.

What stands there now is not the medieval castle. The building you can see was put up in the 1800s by the Rockingham estate, on top of the older foundations.

‘Our families are really and truly suffering in our presence and we cannot much longer withstand their cries for food. We have no food for them, our potatoes are rotten and we have no grain.’

– the Cloonahee Petition, 22 August 1846

This heart-wrenching letter was written by tenant farmers to their landlord, Major Denis Mahon. They were starving, and they were asking for work so that they could buy food.

Imagine walking deep into the side of a mountain, with rock walls pressing in around you and only a flickering lamp on your helmet to light the way. That was everyday life for the coal miners of Arigna.

The tunnels were dark, narrow and dusty, and the air was often damp and hard to breathe. Miners worked for long hours in these tough conditions, chipping away at coal with picks and shovels, and later using noisy machines. They filled heavy carts by hand and pushed them along metal tracks in the dark.

Many miners started working as teenagers, often following their fathers or uncles into the mines. Some spent 30, 40 or even 50 years underground. Their job was difficult and sometimes dangerous – but it was also a source of pride, and it kept the community going.

Located in the village of Tulsk, the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre is the starting point for exploring one of Ireland’s most important ancient landscapes. This is the heart of Cruachan Aí, the royal site linked to Queen Medb and the early kings of Connacht.

From the centre, visitors can head out to see the Rathcroghan Mound and the many features that surround it. Guided tours help explain what these places were used for and why they were so important. You’ll hear stories connected to landmarks like Rathnadarve and learn how all the monuments fit together.

Whether you are interested in history, legends or impressed by the sheer size of the royal site, the Visitor Centre helps you understand why Rathcroghan is one of the most fascinating places from Ireland’s past.

Located on the Square in Roscommon town, the County Museum is a great place to explore the county’s past. The museum is housed in a former Presbyterian church built in the 1860s, and many of the objects on display were donated or loaned by people from the local community.

Inside, visitors can see a wide range of items connected to Roscommon’s history. These include a 9th-century inscribed stone linked to St Comán’s early monastery, objects from the Old Gaol, and a well-known Sheela-na-Gig carving from Rahara.

There is also a display about William Watt, Roscommon town’s first Olympic athlete. He competed in the 1908 Olympic Games in London, finishing 18th in the long jump. The participation medal he received is now on display in the museum.

Each spring, the famous bluebell wood near Boyle bursts into colour as carpets of blue flowers spread beneath oak, ash and hazel trees.

These woods are home to small mammals, insects and birds and are part of Roscommon’s wider natural landscape of rivers, wetlands and bogs. Together, they show how many different plants and animals share this area and why it is such a special place to explore and protect.

I was born in the late 1600s and lost my sight as a young man – but that didn’t stop me. I taught myself to play the harp and travelled all around Ireland, composing tunes for chieftains, noblewomen and anyone with a good ear. Some called me the last of the bards. My music is still played today, over 250 years later.

I helped give the Irish language a voice. In fact, I co-founded Conradh na Gaeilge – the Gaelic League – to keep our native tongue alive. I also became Ireland’s very first president in 1938. But before that, I was a professor and a writer – not to mention a proud Roscommon man.

They told me I couldn’t qualify – just because I was a woman. But I didn’t let that stop me. I trained in Scotland, worked with animals across the west of Ireland, and in 1922 I finally became the first female vet in the UK and Ireland. I loved horses, science and proving people wrong.

Long before phones and TV, I kept audiences entertained with songs, sketches and sharp wit. I trained as an engineer but soon swapped plans and maps for music and laughter.

I went from Boyle to the big screen. You might know me from Bridesmaids, The IT Crowd or my own show Moone Boy. I like to keep things funny, but I’m very proud of where I’m from.

Before there were Marvel stars or movie icons, there was me – swinging through the jungle as Jane in Tarzan. I acted in over 60 films and helped put Roscommon on the Hollywood map.

Over 6,000 everyday objects from Irish rural life in the 19th and 20th centuries. You’ll find butter churns, radios, washboards, school desks, shop counters, bicycles, farming tools and more. It’s like stepping into your great-grandparents’ world.

A local heritage hub full of artefacts, old photos, maps, tools and even family records. The centre tells the story of farming life, emigration, folklore, local schools and religious traditions in the area.

It’s a brilliant starting point for learning about your local area – or even tracing your family roots.

Holy wells are special springs or pools of water that people believe are blessed or magical. Many are linked to Christian saints like St Patrick or St Brigid, but many of those were once linked to beliefs in pre-Christian times.

Ireland has more than 3,000 holy wells – more than any other country in the world! County Roscommon has around 75 of them, tucked away in fields, near old churches, beside lakes or even on hilltops.

Some places in Roscommon are even named after wells, like Brideswell, Ballintober and Toberpatrick. Tobar means ‘well’ in Irish.

Why are they special?

Long ago, people came to wells to pray, ask for healing or give thanks. Before hospitals existed, wells were believed to cure all kinds of problems – sore eyes, backaches, even sadness. Farmers even brought their sick animals.

At Ogulla Well, St Patrick is said to have baptised people. St Lasair’s Well has a special stone altar that people crawled underneath to cure back pain. And St Diarmuid’s Holy Well was famous for helping people with eye problems.

Roscommon has all sorts. Some even have altars, crosses or carved stones said to show footprints or knee-marks from saints.

1. Stone-lined wells – built by hand without cement
2. Natural springs – bubbling straight from the ground
3. Pond wells – peaceful pools
4. Modern wells – older wells updated for everyday use

Visiting a holy well was called doing the rounds – walking around it in a circle while saying prayers. The busiest time to visit was Garland Sunday, the last Sunday in July. People would pray, drink the water and enjoy music, dancing and games.

One old belief says that water from a true holy well will never boil. And if anyone ever harmed a sacred fish, it would escape, return to its well – and sometimes show the burn marks to prove it.

Beside some wells you might see trees tied with colourful rags, called rag trees, where visitors leave wishes and prayers.

Brideswell Holy Well was once one of Roscommon’s most important pilgrimage sites. In 1625, a chapel and bathhouse were built here, and for centuries people have visited the well seeking healing, hope and spiritual comfort.

Every time you see a road sign in County Roscommon, you’re reading a piece of ancient history. Our place names are like a secret code that tells us how people lived here hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Let’s crack the code.

Roscommon is home to a wonderful variety of plants, animals and habitats – from raised bogs and winding rivers to lakes, woodlands and limestone turloughs. Along the way, you might come across some unfamiliar wildlife words.

Long ago, Queen Medb of Connacht argued with her husband, King Ailill, about who owned the most valuable treasures. They compared everything they had and found they were equal – except King Ailill also owned a magnificent white bull, the finest in Ireland.

‘That’s not fair!’ cried Medb. ‘I must have a bull just as good!’

She heard of the legendary Brown Bull of Cooley in Ulster. When its owner refused to lend it, Medb grew furious. ‘If I can’t borrow it, I’ll take it!’

So she raised the greatest army Ireland had ever seen. Warriors came from all over to march north with her – and only one man stood in their way.

For months, Cú Chulainn fought single combats at the river crossing, defeating champion after champion. At last Queen Medb set his best friend and foster-brother, Ferdia, against him. They fought for three heartbreaking days before Cú Chulainn finally overcame Ferdia.

Wounded and grieving, Cú Chulainn could fight no more. While he lay recovering, Medb’s men stole the Brown Bull and brought it back to Connacht, near Cruachan – still a site you can visit in Roscommon today.

But when Medb’s prize met Ailill’s white bull, the two beasts locked in a furious battle. They thundered across Ireland until, at last, the Brown Bull triumphed – only to collapse and die from his wounds.

Queen Medb’s grand adventure ended in ruin. Both bulls were gone, and her army returned empty-handed.

Developed county by county, this series celebrates local heritage and history while creating a national collection for young readers across Ireland. All county editions are available on our dedicated Heritage Guides page.

This project is an action of the Roscommon Heritage Strategy 2025–2029.

roscommoncoco.ie – Kids Zone