Roscommon, County, lies in the province of Connacht in the western part of the Republic of Ireland. A largely agricultural county, it covers an area of 1,020 square miles (2,463 square kilometers). The town of Roscommon is the county’s largest town.
Most of the people of County Roscommon are Roman Catholics. Many of the rest are members of the Church of Ireland or claim no religious affiliation.
Economy.
A greater proportion of the county’s people work in agriculture than do the people of any other Irish county. In the south and center of County Roscommon, the land is more fertile and farms larger than in most of Connacht. The rearing of beef cattle is by far the most important farming activity. Sheep are also important, especially in the south. Barley, oats, and potatoes are the main crops.
The main manufacturing centers are the towns of Ballaghaderreen, Boyle, and Roscommon. The main types of manufacturing are food processing, engineering, and metal industries. Leading service industries include catering, community services, education, finance and banking, health care, and retail trade.
Land.
The River Shannon and its lakes, principally Lough Ree, form the county’s eastern boundary. They separate County Roscommon from counties Leitrim, Longford, Westmeath, and Offaly. The River Suck, a tributary of the River Shannon, forms much of the southwestern boundary with County Galway. County Mayo lies to the west and County Sligo to the northwest.
County Roscommon is almost entirely a limestone lowland. The limited areas of upland are in the extreme north. The Curlew Mountains along the border with County Sligo are sandstone. The Arigna area is part of a shale and sandstone plateau that lies mainly in County Leitrim.
In the southern part of County Roscommon, the limestone is at or near the surface. Much of the land is dry, and there are many stone walls. In the north, the soil is much deeper, and in places it is shaped into small rounded hills called drumlins. There are peat bogs in areas of poor natural drainage throughout the county.
History.
Rathcroghan, near Tulsk, was the ancient seat of the kings of Connacht. The main families in the county were the O’Connors and MacDermotts in the north, and the O’Kellys in the south. There are remains of a fine medieval Cistercian monastery in Boyle and a castle in the town of Roscommon.
English troops led by Oliver Cromwell invaded Ireland in 1649. Many people lost their homes in other parts of the country and moved to County Roscommon. Population loss at the time of the Great Irish Famine in the 1840’s was greater than in any other Irish county. One-third of the people died or emigrated.
