Roscommon Town, often regarded as the backwater of all country backwaters, is not on the main tourist routes – at least according to perceived wisdom, there is nothing to see here. But while the city may lack the spectacular appeal of other more touristy locations, it still retains the appearance of a traditional county town.
Roscommon Town in a nutshell
Roscommon Town, after all, is the county town of Roscommon in the province of Connacht and is inhabited by about 5,000 people. Located near the junctions of the N60, N61 and N63 roads, it is an important local center for commerce and trade. Today it still conveys the feel of a slightly spruced up old market town. If the traffic didn’t drown you out sometimes, it would be a reminder of the 1950s in rural Ireland.
A brief history of the city of Roscommon
Roscommon has a history that goes back a few thousand years… although its name is more recent. In the 5th century, Coman mac Faelchon founded a monastery here and the forests near the monastery became “Coman Wood” (or in Irish ” Ros Comáin” ). However, the civilization was old news in the Roscommon area: an archaeological excavation in 1945 uncovered a lunula (gold necklace) and two discs, dating from the period 2,300 to 1,800 BC. C.
Roscommon grew into a great fortress and market town and continued to prosper until the Great Famine, when about a third of the population was lost. Thereafter, the city seemed to hibernate, until a further increase in activity during the ‘Celtic Tiger’ years, not always to the benefit of the area with some real estate developments that seemed ‘out of place’.
Places to visit in Roscommon Town
Today, Roscommon Town has retained its visitor appeal, albeit in an understated style and enjoyed in a relatively short period of time. The main attractions to consider would be:
- Roscommon Castle: a ruin located on the outskirts of the city, in a quadrangular and imposing shape. Built in the 13th century, Roscommon Castle was finally destroyed in the Williammite War, it is part of a park open during the day.
- Harrison Hall (Bank of Ireland) – A 17th century house, converted to a combined court and market house in 1762, topped by a dome. Used as a Catholic church since 1863, it was converted to a recreation room in 1903, then a cinema, and finally sold to the Bank of Ireland in 1972. Fortunately, much of the building’s picturesque appeal survived.
- The Old Gaol – Just the remnants of the façade of the original structure, the rest gave way to a modern shopping mall just behind Harrison Hall. Roscommon once had the distinction of having the only woman hanged in Ireland (who took the job to escape the gallows herself)… and the jail later became a madhouse. It later became an infectious disease hospital and eventually commercial property.
- Old Presbyterian Church (now used as a County Museum) – An interesting cut limestone building, renovated in 1991 and displaying exhibits related to the history of Roscommon.
- Roscommon Abbey (or monastery): hidden and reached via a path at the rear of the Abbey Hotel, the abbey was founded in the 13th century by King Felim O ‘Connor of Connacht. A tomb from around around 1300 on the abbey grounds may be his. It shows a king figure in an ornate dress that may be a conscious copy of English (or French) court fashion. The sides are ‘protected’ by carvings of gallows glasses, Scottish mercenaries, which may be of a much later date, so the tomb may have been assembled from bits and pieces in ruins.
- Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón: Definitely imposing with a 52 meter high spire, topped by a statue of Saint Michael the Archangel. Note the sunken grotto in front of the church and the mosaic above the main door, which represents two bishops.
Roscommon Town Miscellanea
Roscommon has a definitely sporty side: Roscommon Golf Club was founded in 1904 and has a beautiful golf course. Dr. Douglas Hyde Park is a major GAA location (30,000 capacity) and a large horse racing field is just outside the city center.
