Touring Routes
TOUR
4 SOUTH ROSCOMMON DRIVE
Distance: 104km(66 miles); for longer route
add 56km (36 miles).
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for Map
Roscommon
 The
South Roscommon Drive takes in the narrow southern part of the
county driving along the River Shannon on the eastern boundary
and the River Suck on the western boundary. Again we start in
the capital of the county to which it gives its name. Ros means
a wooded or pleasant gentle height and Coman the name of its famous
Irish saint and the first bishop of the See.
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 beautiful renovated Bank of Ireland which was once the
courthouse and afterwards served as the Catholic church until
1903. There is an excellent 18-hole Golf Course adjacent to Roscommon
town with a fine new club house, where visitors are welcome. Roscommon
Race Course hosts many important meetings during Summer and Autumn.
Places to visit in the town include:
- County Museum and Tourist Office;
Roscommon Jail;
Roscommon Castle;
Sacred Heart Church;
Roscommon Abbey;
Library - Old Infirmary Building.
County Museum and Tourist Office
 One cannot
walk around The Square in Roscommon without noticing the attractive
former Presbyterian Church and its Manse. It is offset by its
lawn and unique "Star of David" window. The church,
which was built in the 1863 was renovated in 1991 and now displays
items such as a ninth century inscribed slab from St. Coman’s
foundation, Church St.; a replica of the Cross of Cong which the
inscription states was ‘made at Roscommon’;a superb example of
a ‘sheela-na-Gig figure. Here also in the County Museum you will
find the friendly staff of the Roscommon Tourist Information Office,
a service provided by Ireland West Tourism. They will be happy
to give you details of what’s to see and do and book accommodation
for you as you travel this magical county.
Tel: 090 6625613
Roscommon Jail
Adjacent is the massive building of solid stone,
once the county jail. It had the distinction of having a hangwoman
in the person of "Lady Betty", a criminal who had her
sentence for murder withdrawn on condition that she carried out
the hangman’s task, without fee or reward. According to local
records, the jail was built in the early 1740s and was owned by
the Roscommon landlord, the Earl of Essex. The building served
as a jail for less than a century. It subsequently became a lunatic
asylum, then a refuge for smallpox sufferers and later a private
house. The Jail has been totally rebuilt, although the front facade
has been retained, and now houses an arcade of shops and restaurant
on the ground floor with living apartments on the upper floors.
Roscommon Castle
 Located
on a hillside just outside the town, Roscommon castle is quadrangular
in shape, it had four corner D-shaped towers, three storeys high,
and twin towers at its entrance gateway, one of which still retains
its immensely sturdy vaulted roof. The entire castle was enclosed
by a lofty curtain wall. It was built in 1269 by Robert de Ufford,
Justiciar of Ireland, on lands he had seized from the Augustinian
Priory. The castle had a most chequered history. It was besieged
by Connacht King Aodh O’Connor in 1272. Eight years later it was
again in the hands of an English garrison, and fully repaired.
By 1340 the O’Connor’s regained possession of it, and, except
for a few brief intermissions, they held it for two centuries
until 1569, when Sir Henry Sidney, Lord Deputy seized it. It was
granted to Sir Nicholas Malbie, Elizabethan Governor of Connaught,
in 1578. Two years later the interior was remodelled and large
mullioned windows were inserted in the towers and curtain walls.
Again, in 1641 the Parliamentarian faction gained it until Confederate
Catholics under Preston captured it in 1645. It remained in Irish
hands until 1652 when it was partially blown up by Cromwellian
"Ironsides" under Commissary Reynolds, who had all the
fortifications dismantled. It was finally burned down in 1690,
and, from the closing years of the 17th century, it
gradually fell into decay. It is still quite an impressive sight,
nevertheless. A symmetrical moat some distance from the curtain
walls surrounded the entire castle and safeguarded it. It s now
a national monument.
Sacred Heart Church
The Sacred Heart Church dominates the town. The church
spire is 52 m high. Built of local cut stone and opened in 1903,
it was completed in 1925. The church is built on rising ground
and fronted by a sunken grotto. Over the main door is a fine example
of mosaic, carried out by the Italian firm of Salviate, depicting
two bishops of Elphin connected with the building of the church.
The interior is equally impressive and contains a replica of the
Cross of Cong. This wonderful example of Irish Craftsmanship was
made in Fuerty between 1120 - 1123.
Roscommon Abbey
 In
this Dominican Priory, founded in 1253, a late 13th
century effigy of its founder Felim O’Conor is placed upon a later
15th century tomb with eight mail-clad warriors representing
gallowglasses, medieval Irish professional soldiers. Famous in
early Christian days as a seat of learning under Abbot Coman,
it has close ties with St. Ciaran and Clonmacnois. The Dominican
priory, the ruins of which still stand, was founded in 1253 by
Felim O’Conor, King of Connaught and consists of a church 42m
long and 10m wide. Notwithstanding the suppressions of the 16th
and 17th centuries, the Dominicans held their community
together and its two last survivors died as parish priests of
Fuerty and of Athleague in 1830 and 1872 respectively.
Roscommon Library
 One of
the most modern Library Headquarters and Branch Libraries in the
country, Roscommon Co. Library is housed in the building known
as the Old Infirmary. This impressive building was built in 1783
from an endowment from Mrs. Laetitia Walcott, a woman of considerable
substance. The original building was of limestone, three storied
over a basement, with slated roof and plain limestone dressings
around the windows. The two symmetrical pavilions on the North
and South ends of the central portion were constructed after 1832.
The South Pavilion incorporated the physician’s residence with
an entrance to the front of the building, with carved door case
and steps. Other renovations were carried out to the building
in 1902 and 1929. It continued to be used as a hospital until
1941, when the new county hospital was built. Major reconstruction
work began in 1989 and was completed at a cost of £1,200,000.
The result is a beautiful building, well worth a visit particularly
if you are interested in researching your Roscommon roots. The
Library houses a wealth of archival material.
Opening Hours:
Sunday and Monday: Closed
Tuesday and Thursday: 1pm - 8pm
Wednesday: 1pm - 5pm
Friday and Saturday: 10am - 1pm and 2pm - 5pm
After touring the many historical sites in Roscommon,
time for a break for refreshments. Roscommon town is very well served
with restaurants, coffee-shops and pubs.
Mote Park
Instead of taking the main road to Knockcroghery,
take the road signposted Curraghboy. 500m on the left is the Famine
Memorial. It was built by the people of Roscommon in 1999 as a
reminder of the thousands of their ancestors who perished in the
Famine. It is built beside the Masters residence of the Workhouse,
now known as the Sacred Heart Home, which was built in 1840. It
was designed for 700 paupers but housed up to 1,600 people during
the famine years. Immediately past the Roscommon Golf Course take
the narrow road to the left through Mote Park, once the demesne
of the Croftons. The estate dates back to Elizabethan times. John
Crofton was the first occupier. He accompanied the Earl of Essex
to Ireland and acquired large grants of land in the counties of
Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim. The last Lord Crofton to reside
here was the late Sir Ed. Blase 5th Baron who died
in England in 1974. The Demesne comprised of 7,000 acres. Taking
great care as the road is narrow, cross the railway bridge and
through the tree-lined avenue. The original native woodland trees
were felled for timber in the 1940s and this area was planted
with mixed conifer species. Evidence of the original native woodland
species such as hazel, oak, bird cherry and alder can be found
in the forest undergrowth. Clear of the woods you will catch the
first glimpse of the Derrydonald Bridge. This bridge with its
high arch and in former times a gate, was used by the Croftons
and their friends - the tradespeople and tenants used a foot bridge
which is visible upstream. The Hind river which flows under the
bridge was once full of trout but unfortunately pollution has
put an end to any fish life. Note the inscription on the bridge:
"Sir Edward Crofton
Brt.
Had this bridge built
at his owne expence for
his owne use in 1714.
Rebuilt in 1849"
Moving on, there is a small wood to the right and
ruins of the mill and walled garden. The ruins of the coach house
and stables are now on your left. Ahead in the distance is the
hill of Kilmaine and if you look closely near the summit you will
see a clump of trees which marks the last resting place of the
Croftons and their servants. Turn left at the junction and try
to imagine the "The Big House" which once stood on the
left. It was originally an irregular two-storey over basement
limestone house, said to have been built around 1730. It was destroyed
by fire in 1865 and afterwards rebuilt with considerable modifications.
Not a stone remains of the once magnificent house which was totally
demolished in 1959. Proceed downhill along Ballymurray Avenue,
flanked on both sides by conifers and further down nearer the
main road by beech trees. A Heritage Walkway through Mote Park
Demesne is being developed at present. Approx 20km long this will
lead the walker through forest tracks to spectacular views of
the surrounding countryside.
Tel. 090 66 27361
or 087 2265114 for further details.
Web: www.coillteoutdoors.ie/?id=53&rec_site=101
Knockcroghery
Turn right on to the main road (N61) towards the
town of Knockcroghery (Cnoc an Chrocaire - the Hangman’s
Hill), so called from an elevated mound east of the village, which
was once a place of execution. For over 250 years the village
was famous for the production of the tobacco clay pipe, or Duidin.
By the late 1800s there were up to 100 people involved in the
manufacture and distribution of the village’s clay pipes. A Visitor
Centre and Workshop are located on the original site of Andrew
and P.J. Curley’s pipe factory, where pipes are handcrafted using
the original methods of production.
- Opening Hours:
May - September: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am - 5.30pm
Groups should book in advance
Tel. 090 66 61923
e-mail:ethelkelly@eircom.net;
web:www.oghamwish.com
Take a detour to the right in the centre of the village
to see Scregg House, seat of the Kelly family. Scregg House is a
3 storey 5 bay mid-18th century country house (not open
to the public).
Gailey Bay
Beyond the village, just past the railway line to
the left is Gailey Bay near the shore of which stands Gailey Castle.
This was built in the 14th century by William Boy O’Kelly who
is celebrated by the Irish bards as a prince of unbounded munificence.
According to the Annals of Clonmacnoise he invited all the professors
of art to his house and entertained them during the Christmas
holidays.
There is a fully serviced Caravan and Camping site
at Gailey Bay with shop, games room, pitch and putt course and
boats for hire.
Tel. 090 66 61058
email: gaileybay@hotmail.com
Out on the lake is the island of Inishcleraun named
after a sister of Queen Maeve, Clothra. Queen Maeve is said to
have been killed here by an enemy while she was bathing. This
island is the site of a monastery founded by St. Diarmait in 540
and on it are the remains of six churches.
Back on the N63 travel to the village of Lecarrow.
Lecarrow
 A road
on the left at Lecarrow leads to a pleasant lakeside amenity area
beyond which is the castle standing on a promontory projecting
into the lake.
When the Normans invaded Ireland, they quickly overran
much of the eastern part of the country, but it took them another
65 years to subdue the western province of Connaught. To do so,
they had to cross the Shannon and fortify themselves on the western
bank. They built some mighty castles on the river banks, of which
that at Rindoon is the most northerly. It constitutes one of the
most important complexes of medieval monuments in Ireland. The
name Rindoon means a fortified headland and suggests that the
site was used as a fort long before the Normans ever came to Lough
Ree. The castle is now an ivy-covered ruin, placed near the end
of a peninsula stretching out into Lough Ree, and defended by
a ditch which was cut through the width of the peninsula and filled
with water (now dried up). On the landward side is a church, and
a cross-wall - the last surviving remains of a once-thriving medieval
town which was located on the green fields now peacefully grazed
by cattle and sheep.
Just over 1km away is a fine example of ancient woodland
at St. John’s which was more than likely a useful source of timber
and other wood products for the Rindoon settlement. No mature
trees are now left in St. John’s Wood, but it has been left relatively
undisturbed for a sufficient period of time to allow a rich and
varied ecological diversity to develop. Over most of the wood
the bedrock is close to the surface and the soil cover is mostly
shallow and well drained. This adds to the uniqueness of St. John’s
Wood, in that the occurrence of well-developed woodland over limestone
in Ireland is uncommon.
Hodson Bay
 Continue along the N63 through Kiltoom to
the signs on your left for Hodson Bay. Hodson’s Pillar stands
on a tiny island offshore. It is said to mark the geographical
centre of Ireland - but so do several other points, including
Barry’s Hill nearby, the Cat Stone near Mullingar and another
point near Glasson in the Goldsmith country. Take your pick!
Founded in 1892, the venerable old Athlone Golf Club at Hodson
Bay affords beautiful panoramic views over Lough Ree from the
clubhouse and course. An amenity area is closeby and the Hodson
Bay Hotel offers numerous facilities to guests and casual visitors
alike. Athlone is 5km further on the main road.
Take an Eco Tour on Lough Ree at Hodson Bay. Ran
by Hodson Bay Water Sports, take a tour of Lough Ree on a powerboat.
Available hourly.
Tel: 1890 70 40 90 or
www.hodsonbawatersports.com.com
Athlone
Athlone is the main town of the middle Shannon, and
it grew up around the principal crossing point of the river. For
this reason it has always been an important strategic centre worth
fighting for. On the western side of the present road-bridge is
a castle, where the Normans fortified themselves around 1210.
From it, in 1691, the Jacobites led by Sergeant Custume bravely
defended the bridge against the invading forces of King William
of Orange’s army - but in vain, for they were killed, and 21,000
cannon balls reduced the castle to little more than a heap of
rubble. In its re-built state, it now houses a Castle Museum and
a Military Museum, together with space for exhibitions relating
to aspects of cultural and natural history of Athlone and the
surrounding countryside.
There is a Tourist Office and teashop within the
Castle walls.
You have a decision to make for the next stage of
the tour. If you have the time (or if it is October) you might
want to extend the trip by including Ballinasloe. Glendeer Pet
Farm and Drum Monastic Site lie 5km west of Athlone just off the
N6. Otherwise you travel due West through the villages of Brideswell
and Four Roads to Mount Talbot.
Glendeer Pet Farm
 The farm has much to offer adults and children
alike. Stretch your legs along the unspoilt nature walk where
old horse drawn farm machinery can be viewed. Children will enjoy
feeding the pet animals which include deer, Vietnamese potbelly
pigs, ponies, Jersey cows, peacocks and other rare birds and domestic
fowl. A well-equipped children’s playground will keep youngsters
amused while adults enjoy a cup of tea and homemade cakes.
- Opening Hours:
April - September: Daily, Monday - Saturday: 10am - 6pm
Sunday 12.00 - 6pm
Groups catered for with guided tour by arrangement
Tel: 090 6437147
Email: glendeer@glendeer.com
Web: www.glendeer.com
Drum
The monastic site and St. Brigid’s Holy well at Drum
have been completely restored in recent years. A limestone slab
containing an engraving from the Book of Lecan has been installed.
The script bears testimony to St. Brigid’s connection with Drum
and declares the Blessed Well as a Baptismal Centre for the children
of the Hymanny Tribes. The Monastic Settlement includes the Summerhill
Orphanage Plot, Fr. Murphy gravestone and a memorial erected by
T.P. O’Connor, M.P. whose parents are buried here. There also
exists ruins of a Medieval Church. A visitor’s centre has been
built at the site and expects to be fully operational for the
2001 season. At the moment it is open on Mondays and Tuesdays
or by appointment.
- For more information Tel.
090 64 37128 or 086 8821004
Further along the road at Thomastown cemetery are the
ruins of a very early Christian Church, which has been completely
restored, and a Mausoleum, which was built to perpetuate the memory
of Anna Helena Naghten who died giving birth to her son in 1797.
Ballinasloe and Horse Fair
A prosperous, expanding centre on the main Dublin/Galway
road. The verdant splendour of Ballinasloe’s green turns to a
sea of churning mud, agitated by thousands of stamping and grinding
hooves as horses are led, paraded, admired, examined, bought and
sold on its remarkably resilient surface every October. The fair
has ancient origins and was one of the three great horse fairs
of Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. Horses were bought here
for the cavalries of Europe. The fair still has an excitement
and magic which is hard to march.
From Ballinasloe you retrace your way for a few kilometres
on the N6 and then take the R357 through Taughmaconnell to Dysart
If you have opted for the shorter route you are heading
along the R363 to Brideswell.
Brideswell
St. Brigid’s Well at Brideswell is one of the earliest
Christian sites in Ireland. The traditional Pattern day is the
last Sunday of July (Garland Sunday). Pilgrimage to this well
formed a major part of Celtic spirituality and helped the people
preserve their faith in the difficult years of the Penal Laws.
Brideswell was known as a place of pilgrimage all over Ireland
as evidenced by the water chapel erected by Sir Randal McDonnell,
1st Earl of Antrim in 1625. An indulgence was granted
to pilgrims by Rome in 1661.
Take a detour here to visit the Derryglad
Folk Museum. The museum houses a unique collection of
horse drawn machinery restored to original working order, tradesman’s
tools, household utensils and a wide range of indoor and outdoor
rural artifacts.
Continue through Dysart (also known as Thomas St.)
to Ballyforan. Turn right here to the village of Four Roads.
Four Roads/Tisrara
Tisrara (Tigh Srartha - the straddle house)
is the name given to the ancient parish for this area. The medieval
church in Tisrara old cemetery is reputed to have housed Carmelites
and they provided a religious hostel for people en route to and
from Clonmacnoise. The ground plan of the recently excavated site
shows the extensive buildings that existed, including the place
of worship, monastic cells and domestic accommodation. The oldest
memorial in the cemetery, a 17th century wayside cross,
is the only reminder of the pilgrims that trod this almost obliterated
route. But, fortunately, what is left in this cemetery is now
securely restored and will recall for future generations the early
beginning of Catholicism in this area.
Mount Talbot
The name comes from the Talbot family who were granted
this part of the O’Kelly lands in the Cromwellian settlement.
They flourished and built a fine house in the 18th
century, of which only a gateway remains. A notable feature of
the village is the nine-arch bridge which spans the river. From
here we take the N63 to Athleague
Athleague
 Derived from the Irish Ath Liag Maonagain,
The Stony Ford of St. Meanacain, Athleague nestles in a gentle
S-curve on the Suck. It was an important crossing point of the
River and has had a long and chequered history. Part of the lands
of the O’Kellys of Hymany, it passed in Elizabethan times to the
Ormsby family, who were of their time in ruthlessly pursuing priests
and Irish ‘rebels’ The ruins of a castle built in 1337 by the
O’Conors lie behind the big mill just above the bridge. The old
Protestant church opposite the mill has been converted into an
Angling and Visitors Centre. Here one can get all the local tourist
information - angling, walking, cycling and is a central booking
office for local accommodation and tours. The Centre is open all
year round and offers conference facilities.
- Opening Hours:
June - September: Daily, 9.30am - 5.30pm
Rest of year: Mon - Fri, 9.30am - 5.30pm
Coffee and craft shop
Tel. 090 66 63602 Fax. 090 66 63014
e-mail: info@suckvalley.com
web:www.suckvalley.com
Here one can begin a stage of the "Suck Valley
Way", a 100km long way-marked walk, which incorporates part
of the famous O’Sullivan Beara trail. Ask at the Centre for a
detailed map guide.
A couple of kilometres further on, at Castlestrange,
a monument of outstanding archaeological importance is situated
- the La Tene stone, a granite boulder decorated with flowing
spirals dating from the Iron Age (500 BC - 100 AD). It is believed
that a strong continental influence was in vogue in Ireland at
that time to influence the carver.
The most famous person to live in Castlestrange House
was William Augustine Byrne to whom there is a monument in the
square in Roscommon town. He was a veterinary surgeon and employed
Aileen Isabel Cust who was the first woman veterinary surgeon
to practice in Ireland or England.
Continue through to Fuerty.
Fuerty
The graveyard here is one of the most interesting
in the county. In it are the ruins of a Franciscan church in which
100 priests were massacred in Cromwellian times by Colonel Ormsby,
the local tyrant. Some of the gravestones date back to 1720 and
there are graves and tombs of many priests. Two headstones are
of special interest. One, erected over the grave of a blacksmith,
is carved to show anvil, bellows and smith’s tongs. The other,
over the grave of a shepherd, shows a sheep and shepherd’s crook.
The South Roscommon Drive ends back at Roscommon town.
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