A-Z Placefinder
Towns of Roscommon
Roscommon —County Roscommon
Roscommon, the County Town and administrative centre, is located about 6.5km from the River Suck and offers the visitor a wide range of accommodation, shopping, historic sites and amenity facilities, golf and horse racing.
The town is the capital of the County to which it gives its name. Ros means a wooded or pleasant height and Coman the name of its famous Irish saint and the first bishop of the sea. Situated in the midst of rich pasture lands noted for the quality of their cattle and sheep, its modern co-operative livestock mart is one of the leading marts in the country.
It is a town rich in historical associations and contains many impressive buildings and a pleasant day could easily be spent just looking around the town. In the spacious main street is the fine renovated Bank of Ireland building which was once the courthouse and afterwards served as the Catholic church until 1903. Places to visit in the town include:
County Museum and Tourist Office. Items on display at the museum include a 9th-century inscribed slab from St Coman's foundation.
(Tel: 0903-25613)
Roscommon Jail; Roscommon Castle (which is now in ruins, this dramatic and imposing 13th century Norman Castle, passed into the hands of Hugh O'Connor, King of Connaught. It is quadrangular in plan with rounded bastions at the corners and a double-towered entrance gate)
