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ROS
Trinity abbey cm the shores of Lough Kea; of the priory
of Inchmaeneerin, an island in the same lake; of Tulsk
abbey; of the Dominican convent at Roscommon; of
Derane abbey, two miles north-east from Roscommon;
and of Clontuskert abbey, in the same vicinity. There
are also a large old church and other ecclesiastical ruins
at St. John’s. Several remains of small castles are
scattered through the county, undeserving particular
notice. The following are most remarkable: the old
castle of Lough Glynn; the fortress on Castle island, in
Lough Kea, anciently belonging to Mac Dermot; Bally-
nafad castle, the ancient seat of O’Conor Roe; the ex-
tensive ruins of Roscommon castle; those of Ballin-
tobber castle, belonging anciently to O’Conor Don; the
old keep of Athlone castle; the ruined fortress and for-
tified isthmus of St. John’s; and the old castle of
Ballinasloe. Old Coote Hall, in the parish of Tumna,
presents curious remains of fortification in a tower and
ruined walls; and at Belanagare, Kilmore, and near
Athleague, are ancient ruined mansions, conspicuous by
their tall ornamented chimneys and high gables. Among
the antiquities may be noticed the old bridge of Ath-
lone, the inscription on which states it to have been built
in the 9th year of Elizabeth, and records several circum-
stances connected with the history of that period. The
county contains a considerable number of seats, of which
some are very splendid, and surrounded by grounds of
great beauty; they are all noticed in their respective pa-
rishes; and though every part of it, but more particu-
larly the barony of Boyle, affords numerous instances of
improvements in the buildings, even down to the cottages
of the peasantry, yet too many instances of squalid misery
in their habitations are still to be met with. Among
the most remarkable natural curiosities are the swallow
holes, through which several of the streams are preci-
pitated into subterraneous caverns: the largest river
having a subterranean course is the Lung, near Lough
Glynn. At Rathcroaghan, Kilmacumsky, and other
places are natural and artificial caves, in which have
been found various fossil bones. Roscommon confers
the title of Earl on the family of Dillon.
ROSCOMMON, an incorporated market and assize
town (formerly a parliamentary borough), and a parish,
in the barony of BALLINTOBBER, county of ROSCOM-
MON, and province of CONNAUGHT, 15½ miles (W. by N.)
from Athlone, and 74¾ (W.) from Dublin, on the road
to Sligo; containing 8374 inhabitants, of which number,
3306 are in the town. This place appears to have
derived both its origin and its name, originally Ros-
Coeman, or “Coeman’s marsh,” from the foundation of
an abbey of Canons Regular in a low situation here, by
St. Coeman, or Comanus, a disciple of St. Finian, about
the year 540. This abbey was pillaged by the Danes
in 807, and plundered and burnt by the people of
Munster in 1134; it, however, was soon afterwards
restored, and in 1156 its endowments were greatly
augmented by Turlogh the Great, King of Ireland. In
1204, the establishment was plundered by William
Bourke Fitz-Aldelm, one of the earliest English adven-
turers that penetrated into Connaught. A Dominican
friary was founded here in 1253, by Felim M c Cahile
Croovdearg O’Conor, King of Connaught, who was
interred in it in 1265; both these establishments, at
the dissolution, were granted by Queen Elizabeth to
Sir Nicholas Malby, Knt., and his heirs, at a yearly
525
ROS
rent of £30. 5. 10. In 1268, Sir Robert de Ufford, the
English Lord-Justice, erected a strong castle here,
which, four years afterwards, when. Maurice Fitz-Mau-
rice, Earl of Kildare, was Lord-Justice, was razed to
the ground by the native Irish. This castle was rebuilt,
and in 1276 was again taken by the Irish, who on that
occasion obtained a signal victory over the English;
and in the following year, Thomas de Clare, who had
retaken it, was, with his father-in-law, the Earl of
Kildare, surrounded by the native forces, and compelled
to purchase a safe retreat by the final surrender of the
place. The De Burgos afterwards recovered posses-
sion of this fortress. The castle, on its first erection
and also the town which gradually rose around it,
paid a ground rent to the abbot of the older monas-
tery. In 1360, the town was destroyed by fire, and in
1498 the Earl of Kildare, then Lord-Deputy, in an ex-
pedition into Connaught, took possession of the castle,
which he strongly fortified. It subsequently fell into
the hands of the enemy, who kept possession of it till
1566, when it was retaken for the Queen by Sir Henry
Sidney, Lord-Deputy, who placed Sir Thomas L’Es-
trange in it as governor, with a garrison of infantry and
20 horsemen. In the parliamentary war of 1641, the
castle was held for the king by Sir Michael Earnley,
with a detachment of the President of Connaught’s
troops; and in 1642 it made a brave defence against
the assaults of the insurgent forces, but ultimately fell
into their hands. The insurgents kept possession of it
till 1652, when it was delivered up to Col. Reynolds, an
officer of the parliamentarian army.
The town is principally built on the eastern and
southern sides of a hill, at the base of which are the
remains of its ancient and venerable religious build-
ings, and its once stately castle; it consists of one main,
street, forming its chief entrance from the north, and
expanding at the extremity into a wide open area,
round which are some of the public buildings and
the best of its more ancient houses. Several smaller
streets of very inferior character diverge from the main
street: the total number of houses is 581, of which
400 are merely cabins; of the remainder, several are
handsome and well built, and a few are pleasing villas.
The inhabitants are but indifferently supplied with water
from a deep well in the centre of the town, and from
others near the base of the hill; in summer the supply
is very inadequate. Five roads radiate from the town
to different parts of the country. About half a mile
distant are barracks for one troop of horse. Races,
which are supported by subscription, are held annually
on a course about a mile from the town; and a news-
paper is published weekly. The principal trade is in
grain, of which large quantities are sent to Lanes-
borough, whence it is conveyed by the Shannon; this
trade has greatly increased since the improvement of
the roads and the facilities afforded by the continuation
of the Royal Canal; and a plan is under consideration
for the construction of a line of navigation from the town,
either to the Shannon or to the Royal Canal harbour
at Tarmonbarry. A branch of the National Bank of
Ireland was opened in the town in 1837: there are also a
public brewery and a tanyard. The market is on Satur-
day, and is numerously attended and abundantly supplied
with corn and provisions of all kinds; among various
other articles exposed for sale are frieze, coarse woolen