County Roscommon () is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. It is part of the province of

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

and the

Northern and Western Region The Northern and Western Region has been a region within the Republic of Ireland since 1 January 2015. It is a NUTS Level II statistical region of Ireland (coded IE04). NUTS 2 Regions may be classified as ''less developed regions'', ''tr ...

. It is the 11th largest Irish county by area and 26th most populous. Its

county town In Great Britain and Ireland, a county town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county, and the place where public representatives are elected to parliament. Following the establishment of county councils in ...

and largest town is

Roscommon Roscommon (; ; ) is the county town and the largest town in County Roscommon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is roughly in the centre of Ireland, near the meeting of the N60 road (Ireland), N60, N61 road (Ireland), N61 and N63 road (Irelan ...

Roscommon County Council Roscommon County Council () is the local authority of County Roscommon, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban plannin ...

is the

local authority Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...

for the county. The population of the county was 69,995 as of the 2022 census.

Etymology

County Roscommon is named after the

. Roscommon comes from the Irish ''Ros'' meaning a wooded, gentle height and '' Comán'', the first abbot and bishop of Roscommon who founded the first monastery there in 550 AD.

Geography

County Roscommon has an area of .

Lough Key Lough Key () is a lake in Ireland. It is in the northwest of County Roscommon, northeast of the town of Boyle. The lough is believed to be named after a mythical figure named Cé. Name The name ''Lough Key'' comes from the Irish ''Loch Cé''. ...

in north Roscommon is noted for having thirty-two islands. The

geographical centre of Ireland The Geographical Centre of Ireland, according to an investigation and calculation carried out by the Official Irish Government Mapping Agency, Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) published on the official OSI website on 24 February 2022 is near the ...

is located on the western shore of

Lough Ree Lough Ree (), translated to English as ''King's Lake'' or ''King Lake'', is a lake in the midlands of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the second of the three major lakes on the River Shannon. Lough Ree is the second largest lake on the Shannon af ...

in the south of the county. Roscommon is the third largest of Connacht's five counties by size and the second-smallest in terms of population. It ranks 11th in size of Ireland's 32 counties, but 26th in terms of population, making it the 3rd most sparsely populated county after Leitrim and Mayo. The county borders every other

county:

Galway Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...

, Mayo,

Sligo Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...

, and Leitrim, as well as three

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

counties:

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of ...

Westmeath County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...

, and

Offaly County Offaly (; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in honour of Philip II of Spain ...

. In 2008, a news report said that statistically, people from Roscommon have the longest life expectancy of any county on the island of Ireland.

Seltannasaggart Seltannasaggart (),Tempan, PaulIrish Hill and Mountain Names MountainViews.ie. also called Corry Mountain, is a low mountain near Lough Allen on the border of County Roscommon and County Leitrim in Ireland; it is the highest point in Roscommon. ...

, which is located along the northern border with

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim, County Leitr ...

, is the tallest point in County Roscommon, measuring to a height of .

Largest towns by population

According to the 2016 census: #

5,876 #

Boyle Boyle may refer to: Places United States * Boyle, Kansas, an unincorporated community * Boyle, Mississippi, a town *Boyle County, Kentucky *Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, a neighborhood Elsewhere * Boyle (crater), a lunar crater * 11967 Boyle, ...

2,568 #

Castlerea Castlerea ( ; ) is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located in the west of the county and had a population of 2,348 at the 2022 census. Roughly translated from Irish, Castlerea is generally thought to mean 'brindled castle' (''Caisl ...

1,992 #

Ballaghaderreen Ballaghaderreen () is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It was part of County Mayo prior to 1898. It is in the north-west of the county, near the borders with counties Mayo and Sligo, just off the N5 road. The population was 2,387 in the 2 ...

1,808

Baronies

There are nine historical

baronies Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

in County Roscommon. North Roscommon *

(north Roscommon including

and

Arigna Arigna (, formerly ''Carn an Ailt'') is a village in the far north of County Roscommon in the west of Ireland. It is near Lough Allen (on the River Shannon), on a designated scenic route between Keadue and Sliabh an Iarainn. Arigna is situated ...

). *

Frenchpark Frenchpark, historically known as Dungar (), is a village in County Roscommon, Republic of Ireland, Ireland on the N5 road (Ireland), N5 national primary road. It was the home of Douglas Hyde, the first President of Ireland. The nearby French ...

(north-west, including

and

). *

(mid-north-east, including

Strokestown Strokestown (), also known as Bellanamullia and Bellanamully, is a small town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is one of the 27 designated Heritage Towns in Ireland. Located in the part of the country marketed for tourism purposes as Ireland ...

and

Tulsk Tulsk () is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland, on the N5 road (Ireland), N5 roads in Ireland, national primary road between Strokestown and Bellanagare. It sits at around 19 km north of Roscommon, Roscommon town. Heritage Near Tulsk ...

). * Castlereagh (west, including

and Ballinlough). * Ballintober North (east including Rooskey and

Tarmonbarry Tarmonbarry, officially Termonbarry (), is a village in County Roscommon, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. 8 km west of Longford town, it is on the River Shannon where it is crossed by the N5 road (Ireland), N5 road. East of the bridge, part o ...

). South Roscommon *''

Ballymoe Ballymoe (historically ''Bellamoe'', from ) is a village in County Galway, Ireland. Ballymoe is situated on the western side of the River Suck that separates counties County Galway, Galway and County Roscommon, Roscommon. The N60 road (Irela ...

'' shared with

County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...

includes

Creggs Creggs () is a small village and townland in County Galway, Ireland. It is on the border with County Roscommon, on the R362 regional road between Glenamaddy and Roscommon town. With a population of approximately one hundred people, the vil ...

and

Glenamaddy Glenamaddy, or Glennamaddy (), is a small town in County Galway, Ireland. 50 km north-east of Galway city, it lies at the crossroads of the R362 and R364 roads. Glenamaddy became a musical focal point in Connacht during the 1960s during ...

. * Ballintober South (south-mid-east, including

). *

Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midland Region, Ir ...

(mid-south, including

Knockcroghery Knockcroghery () is a village and townland in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located on the N61 road (Ireland), N61 road between Athlone and Roscommon, Roscommon town, near Lough Ree on the River Shannon. The townland of Knockcroghery is in t ...

and part of

). * Moycarn (far-south, including part of

Ballinasloe Ballinasloe ( ; ) is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway, Ireland. Located at an ancient crossing point on the River Suck, evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of Bronze Age sites. Built around a 12th-centur ...

History

Rathcroghan Rathcroghan () is a complex of archaeological sites near Tulsk in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is identified as the site of Cruachan, the traditional capital of the Connachta, the prehistoric and early historic rulers of the western territory ...

(), near

, a complex of archaeological sites, the home of

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

Medb Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méabh(a) () and Méibh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had ...

(, anglicised Maeve), was the seat of Kings of Connacht and then to the High Kings of Ireland. This was the starting point of the ''

Táin Bó Cúailnge (Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "the Irish ''Iliad''", although like most other earl ...

'', or Cattle Raid of Cooley, an epic tale in

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era. In the History of Ireland (795–1169), early medieval era, myths were ...

. The county is home to prehistoric

ringforts Ringforts or ring forts are small circular fortified settlements built during the Bronze Age, Iron Age and early Middle Ages up to about the year 1000 AD. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in S ...

such as Carnagh West Ringfort and Drummin fort. County Roscommon as an administrative division has its roots in the Middle Ages. With the conquest and division of the

Kingdom of Connacht The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the ''cóiced'' (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being named ...

, those districts in the east retained by King John as "The King's

Cantred A cantred was a subdivision of a county in the Anglo-Norman Lordship of Ireland between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, analogous to the cantref of Wales or the hundred of England. In County Dublin the equivalent unit was termed a serjeant ...

s" covered County Roscommon, and parts of East

. These districts were leased to the native kings of Connacht and eventually became the county. In 1585 during the Tudor re-establishment of counties under the

Composition of Connacht The Composition of Connacht, or Composition of Connaught and Thomond, was a 1585 agreement between, on the one hand, the Gaelic and Gaelicised chiefs of Connacht and Thomond and, on the other hand, the English Dublin Castle administration of the ...

, Roscommon was established with the South-west boundary now alongside the

River Suck The River Suck ( ) is a river within the Shannon River Basin in Ireland, 133 km (82.5 mi) in length. It is the main tributary of the River Shannon. It meets the Shannon a kilometre south of the village of Shannonbridge. Name The riv ...

Medieval art

A "well defined" and "original" fine metal workshop was active in County Roscommon in the 12th century. The

Cross of Cong The ''Cross of Cong'' (, "the yellow baculum") is an early 12th-century Irish Christian ornamented cusped processional cross, which was, as an inscription says, made for Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (d. 1156), King of Connacht and High King of Ir ...

, the Aghadoe crosier, Shrine of the

Book of Dimma The Book of Dimma (Dublin, Trinity College, MS.A.IV.23) is an 8th-century Irish pocket Gospel Book originally from the Abbey of Roscrea, founded by St. Crónán in County Tipperary, Ireland. In addition to the Gospels of Luke and John, it ha ...

and Shrine of Manchan of Mohill' are grouped together as having been created by ''Mael Isu Bratain Ui Echach'' et al., at the same Roscommon workshop. The workshop has been linked to St. Assicus of Elphin.

Ordnance Survey

John O'Donovan John O'Donovan may refer to: *John O'Donovan (scholar) (1806–1861), Irish language scholar and place-name expert *John O'Donovan (politician) (1908–1982), Irish TD and Senator *John O'Donovan (police commissioner) (1858–1927), New Zealand pol ...

(1806–1861), historian and scholar, visited County Roscommon in 1837, while compiling information for the

Ordnance Survey The Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see Artillery, ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of ...

. Entering St Peter's parish in Athlone in June 1837, he wrote, "I have now entered upon a region totally different from Longford, and am very much pleased with the intelligence of the people." However, he had major problems with place-names. He later wrote, "I am sick to death's door of lochawns, and it pains me to the very soul to have to make these remarks, but what can I do when I cannot make the usual progress? Here I am stuck in the mud in the middle of Loughs, Turlaghs, Lahaghs and Curraghs, the names of many of which are only known to a few old men in their immediate neighbourhood and I cannot give many of them utterance from the manner in which they are spelled."

Places of interest

A greenway is planned connecting Athlone to Ballyleague. *

Arigna Mining Experience The Arigna Mining Experience is a centre dedicated to the coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since ...

Boyle Abbey Boyle Abbey () is a ruined Cistercian friary located in Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland. It was founded by Saint Malachy in the year 1161 but not consecrated until 1218 (work was interrupted by the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland and it wa ...

Clonalis House Clonalis House () is an historic manor house in Castlerea, County Roscommon, Ireland, and the ancestral home of the O'Conor Don, who are direct descendants of Cathal Crobhdearg Ua Conchobair, King of Connacht, a younger brother of Ruaidrí Ua Co ...

* Elphin Windmill * Lough Key Forest Park *

McDermott's Castle McDermott's Castle is a castle and protected national monument located in County Roscommon, Ireland. The site of a fortification since at least the 13th century, the structure's tower house may date from the 16th century, with much of the curren ...

* Meehambee Dolmen *

National Famine Museum The National Famine Museum () is located at Strokestown Park, County Roscommon, Ireland. The museum contains records from the time of Ireland's Great Famine of 1845–1852. The exhibits aim to explain the famine, which was triggered by the fa ...

* Roscommon County Museum *

Strokestown Park Strokestown Park House is a Palladian style Georgian house in Strokestown, County Roscommon, Ireland, set on about . Privately owned by the Westward Group, the house and National Famine Museum which occupies its former out buildings are bot ...

Government and politics

Roscommon is governed locally by the 18-member

, a body created under the

Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 ( 61 & 62 Vict. c. 37) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that established a system of local government in Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots diale ...

. The 1898 Act also divided the county into the rural districts of Athlone No. 2, Ballinasloe No. 2, Boyle No. 1, Carrick-on-Shannon No. 2, Castlerea, Roscommon, and Strokestown. The rural districts were abolished in 1925.

and

were administered locally by

town commissioners Town commissioners were elected local government bodies that existed in urban areas in Ireland from the 19th century until 2002. Larger towns with commissioners were converted to urban districts by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, wit ...

. Roscommon town commissioners were abolished in 1927. After becoming a

town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...

in 2002, in common with all other town councils in Ireland, Boyle Town Council was abolished under the

Local Government Reform Act 2014 The Local Government Reform Act 2014 (No. 1) is an Act of Parliament, act of the Oireachtas which provided for a major restructuring of local government in the Republic of Ireland, local government in Ireland with effect from the 2014 Irish loca ...

. For general elections, Roscommon is completely within the three-seat Dáil constituency of Roscommon–Galway. For European elections, the county is part of the Midlands–North-West constituency.

Rail transport

There are railway stations located in

(Dublin–Sligo line),

Carrick-on-Shannon Carrick-on-Shannon () is the county town of County Leitrim in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. A smaller part of the town located on the west bank of the River Shannon lies in County Roscommon and is home to th ...

(Dublin–Sligo line),

(Dublin–Westport line),

(Dublin-Westport line),

(Dublin-Galway line) and

(Dublin–Galway and Dublin–Westport lines).

Sport

Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...

is the dominant sport in Roscommon. Roscommon won the

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) () is the premier inter-county competition in Gaelic football. County (Gaelic games), County teams compete against each other and the winner is declared All-Ireland Champions. Organised by the ...

s in 1943 and 1944 and the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

Division 1 Division 1 or Division One may refer to: Association football * Azadegan League, the second-tier professional football league in Iran * Brisbane Premier League Division 1, the second-tier professional football league in Brisbane, Queensland, Austr ...

in 1979, as well as Division 2 in 2015 and 2018. Roscommon have captured the

Connacht Senior Football Championship The Connacht Senior Football Championship, known simply as the Connacht Championship and shortened to Connacht SFC, is an annual Gaelic football competition for the senior county teams of Connacht GAA. All of the county teams of Connacht particip ...

on 23 occasions, the most recent being in 2019. In March 2025 Roscommon won back promotion to Division 1. Roscommon's main

hurling Hurling (, ') is an outdoor Team sport, team game of ancient Gaelic culture, Gaelic Irish origin, played by men and women. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goa ...

title was the 2007

Nicky Rackard Cup The Nicky Rackard Cup (; often referred to as the Rackard Cup) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The cup forms the fourth-tier of Hurling for senior county teams (the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champi ...

Soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

and

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

are also popular sports in the county.

Notable people

* Charles O'Conor (1710–1791), historian and antiquarian of the O'Conor Don family * Matthew O'Conor Don (1773–1844) historian born in Ballinagare *

Arthur French, 1st Baron de Freyne Arthur French, 1st Baron de Freyne and de Freyne (1786 – 29 September 1856) was an Anglo-Irish peer and member of parliament. The French family were of French descent and were previously named de Freyne. De Freyne was the eldest son of Art ...

(1786–1856), Member of Parliament and landlord of

House *

Sir John Scott Lillie Sir John Scott Lillie (1790 – 29 June 1868) was an Anglo-Irish decorated officer of the British Army and Portuguese Army who fought in the Peninsular War (1808–1814). He was a landowner, entrepreneur and inventor. He was Deputy Lieute ...

(1790–1868) CB, decorated

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

veteran, inventor and political activist in England * James Curley (1796–1889), Jesuit and astronomer, born in

Athleague Athleague () is a village and a parish in the Diocese of Elphin on the River Suck in the west of Ireland in County Roscommon, near the town of Roscommon. The village is in a townland and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of the same name. ...

William Wilde Sir William Robert Wills Wilde Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, FRCSI (March 1815 – 19 April 1876) was an Irish Otology, oto-Ophthalmology, ophthalmologic surgeon and the author of significant works on medicine, archaeology and folklore ...

(1815–1876), surgeon, innovator and father of

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

, born in

* Michael Dockry (born 1817), member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

* Thomas Curley (1825–1904), American Civil War colonel, farmer and

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

legislator, born in Tremane, near Athleague * John Gately Downey (24 June 1827 – 1 March 1894), seventh

governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The Governor (United States), governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constit ...

from 14 January 1860 to 10 January 1862 * Henry Gore-Browne (1830–1912),

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

recipient, born in Newtown * Luke O'Connor (1831–1915), first soldier to receive the

, born in Hillstreet, near

Elphin Elphin may refer to: Places Canada * Elphin, Ontario, a hamlet in Lanark Highlands, Lanark County Ireland * Elphin, County Roscommon, a small town * Diocese of Elphin, a diocese * Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin Scotland * Elphin, Highland, ...

* John Fitzgibbon (1845–1919), Member of Parliament * William Griffiths (1841–1879), recipient of the Victoria Cross, born in County Roscommon *

Percy French William Percy French (1 May 1854 – 24 January 1920) was an Irish songwriter, author, poet, entertainer and painter. Life French was born at Clooneyquinn House, near Tulsk, County Roscommon, the son of an Anglo-Irish landlord, Christopher F ...

(1854–1920), born in

, was a foremost songwriter and entertainer, and water-colour painter *Sir Owen Lloyd (1854–1941), recipient of the Victoria Cross, born in County Roscommon *

Thomas Heazle Parke Thomas Heazle Parke (1857–1893) was an Irish physician, British Army officer and author who was known for his work as a doctor on the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. Early life Parke was born on 27 November 1857 at Clogher House in Kilmor ...

(1857–1893, explorer and naturalist, born at Clogher House, Kilmore *

Charlotte O'Conor Eccles Charlotte O'Conor Eccles (1863–1911) was an Irish writer, translator and journalist, who spent her working life in London. ''Aliens of the West'' (1904) was said to be among "the best modern books of short stories on Ireland yet written."''Th ...

(1860–1911) writer, journalist and translator born in the county *

Roderic O'Conor Roderic O'Conor (17 October 1860 – 18 March 1940) was an Irish painter who spent much of his later career in Paris and as part of the Pont-Aven movement. O'Conor's work demonstrates Impressionist and Post-Impressionist influence. Early life ...

(1860–1940),

impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

artist of the O'Conor Don Family *

Douglas Hyde Douglas Ross Hyde (; 17 January 1860 – 12 July 1949), known as (), was an Irish academic, linguist, scholar of the Irish language, politician, and diplomat who served as the first president of Ireland from June 1938 to June 1945. He was a l ...

(1860–1949), scholar of the Irish language, first

President of Ireland The president of Ireland () is the head of state of Republic of Ireland, Ireland and the supreme commander of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces. The presidency is a predominantly figurehead, ceremonial institution, serving as ...

(1938–45), founder of the

Gaelic League (; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it eme ...

during the Revival of the late 19th – early 20th century, born in Castlerea and buried in the Hyde Museum,

Margaret Cousins Margaret Elizabeth Cousins (''née'' Gillespie, also known as Gretta Cousins; 7 November 1878 – 11 March 1954) was an Irish-Indian educationist, suffragist and Theosophist, who established All India Women's Conference (AIWC) in 1927. She was ...

(née Gillespie, 1878–1954), educationist and suffragist in India, born in

* Edward Flanagan (1886–1948), priest and founder of the orphanage Boys Town *

Maureen O'Sullivan Maureen Paula O'Sullivan (May 17, 1911 – June 23, 1998) was an Irish actress who played Jane in the ''Tarzan'' series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She starred in dozens of feature films across a span of more than half a ...

(1911–1998), Ireland's first international movie star, born in Boyle *

Máire McDonnell-Garvey Máire McDonnell-Garvey (10 July 1927 – 29 August 2009) was a traditional Irish musician and writer. Biography Máire McDonnell was born on 10 July 1927 in Tobracken, County Roscommon to James McDonnell and Annie Theresa Talbot. McDonnell-Gar ...

(1927–2009), Traditional Irish musician born in Tobracken near

Brian O'Doherty Brian O'Doherty (4 May 1928 – 7 November 2022) was an Irish-American art critic, writer, visual artist, and academic. He lived in New York City for over 50 years, serving as an art critic for ''The New York Times'' and NBC, as well as an edito ...

(1928-2022), artist and

art critic An art critic is a person who is specialized in analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating art. Their written critiques or reviews contribute to art criticism and they are published in newspapers, magazines, books, exhibition brochures, and catalogue ...

in New York City, born in

Albert Reynolds Albert Martin Reynolds (3 November 1932 – 21 August 2014) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1992 to 1994. He held various cabinet positions between 1979 and 1991, including Ministe ...

(1932–2014),

Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

, born in Rooskey * Nuala Quinn-Barton (born 1952), US film producer, artist and model brought up at Killerr, Ballintober *

Brian Leyden Brian Leyden (born 1960) is an Irish writer. He has published three novels, two short story collections and a best selling memoir. He has co-written a script for a feature film, made radio documentaries and is a regular contributor to Sunday ...

(born 1960), novelist, short story writer, screenwriter and documentarian of

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan Luke 'Ming' Flanagan (born 22 January 1972) is an Irish politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the Midlands–North-West constituency since 2014. He is an independent, but sits in parliament with The ...

(born 1972), politician and MEP born in Roscommon *

Chris O'Dowd Christopher O'Dowd (born 9 October 1979) is an Irish actor and comedian. He received wide attention as Roy Trenneman, one of the lead characters in the Channel 4 comedy ''The IT Crowd'', which ran for four seasons from 2006 to 2010. He has star ...

(born 1979), actor and comedian, born in Boyle * Seamus O'Neill (born 1982 or 1983), Gaelic footballer * Bernard J.D Irwin 1st Recipient of The

Medal Of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

References

Secondary references

* * * * *

External links

* – Roscommon County Council
Rathcroghan, Celtic Royal site of Connacht
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Etymology

Geography

Largest towns by population

Baronies

History

Medieval art

Ordnance Survey

Places of interest

Government and politics

Rail transport

Sport

Notable people

See also

References

Secondary references

External links