ROflOOKMOX. 



ROSCOMMON. 



344 



to 10 IM, sinking in MM p 

 rfc* highsr wan MO f*M at 

 hallow aod stony an unfav 



place* to 180 feet. The shore* nowhere 

 above the surface of the water, and being 

 Tonrable for landing. Numerous ahoaU 

 difficult Than U not much wood along its 

 *nd not a village ii visible from the water, but the lake if 

 with bland*, which in many place* render the scenery 

 Numerous pleamn-boate are kept on the lake. In the 

 and MoeUgh, and in the line of the Boyle Kiver 

 fa 6Te mile* in length and breadth, Lough Key or 



Bllfllt'l ITT ' c*-. and' Lough Oakport, all communicate with' the 

 SOMSMB, and ar remarkable for their beautiful and picturesque 

 iinin Then an k number of smaller lakes in the county. In many 

 pacts of the limestone tract, an temporary lakes, called turloughs, 

 which an ftlled with water in winter, but are usually dry in summer, 

 being drained off by fiasnn* in the rock a* the vegetable matter that 

 .topped thai decay* with the progress of the season. They yield 

 xosUent crop* when the bottom is grusy, and early enough left dry. 



The Dublin road to Oalway crosses the county between Athlone and 

 MHnMin* The road from Dublin to Sligo sends one branch north- 

 ward, which DMSM from Drumsna to Jamestown, and then from 

 Curick north-eastward by Boyle; and another through the centre of 

 the county by Tarmonbrry to Stroketown, and thence by Elphin to 

 join the former at Boyle. From Strokestown the Dublin road runs 

 westward through Tulik and Frenchpark to Ballina. Roads run from 

 all part* of the county to the various ports on the Shannon. The 

 mt-nya. navigation extends along the eastern boundary, penetrates to 

 the interior by the Boyle branch to the vicinity of that town, and by 

 a branch to Strokestown, and touches the county at Ballinasloe by a 

 continuation of the Grand Canal, thus connecting it in all directions 

 with the traffic down the river to Limerick, and along the Grand and 

 lloyal canals to Dublin. The Midland Great Western railway from 

 Dublin to Oalway passe* between Athlone and Ballinasloe. 



OetUfff, Mineraloyy, <tc. The county in its geological structure 

 form* a continuation of the central limestone district of Ireland. The 

 upper limestone appears to some extent in beds of a gray colour, 

 abounding with fossil*. The argillaceous limestone or calp occupies 

 a great proportion of the county, and is in many places blended with 

 Lydian stone. The lower beds are generally of the black crystalline 

 limectone. In several districts sandstone protrudes through the lime- 

 atone. It i* quarried near Frenchpark in thin layers, which are used 

 u substitute for roofing-shite. West from Castlerea, an area of some 

 mile* i* occupied by yellow sandstone. Old red-sandstone forms the 

 greater part of the Slieve-Bawn range and of the Curlew Mountains ; 

 from the latter it extends across the county in a belt of some breadth 

 along the valley of the Boyle River. The Braulieve and Slieve-Curkagh 

 groan* belong to the coal measures, and form part of the great coal 

 district extending over the highlands divided by Lough Allen. These 

 two group* consist of shale* and sandstones supported by the lime- 

 stone, with three beds of coal resting on beds of millstone grit, from 

 which good ironstone i* obtained. The coal answers well for smelting 

 iron, and was used at the Arigna iron-works within the county. Only 

 .-mall quantities of the coal, which is slightly bituminous, are now 

 raised for domestic use. Good bricks are made from the fire-clay of 

 the coal-field. Pipe-clay is found in the county, also potters'-clay, from 

 which coarse earthenware is manufactured. Limestone suitable for 

 building i. quarried. 



Ctimaie, Soil, and Produce. The climate is comparatively cold and 

 moist, and the crops are late in coming to maturity. The limestone 

 districts, except the intervals of bog and marsh, are covered with fertile 

 oil*, which consist in some places of a rich deep loam. The central 

 portion* consist chiefly of natural pastures, which are the richest in 

 Connaught, extending, under the name of the Boyle Plains, over the 

 "dahMiig country bounded by Boyle, Castlerea, Roscommon, and 

 Strokestown. The height* between the Suck and the Shannon have a 

 light soil too shallow in many places for the plough, but clothed with 

 excellent pasture for sheep. Some portions of the red bog along the 

 river* have been reclaimed ; the mountain bogs are wet and spongy, 

 bat interspersed with dry heathy moors. The employments of the 

 county an mainly agricultural, and grazing U most generally and 

 acoMsfaUy attended to. The tillage farms are for the most part 

 Mil, and the mode* of cultun defective. The larger farms are more 

 skilfully managed, and better method* are coming into use. The 

 (erasing farm* an generally larger, and in a much better condition 

 The sheep an much superior to those reared in the neighbouring 

 nnrti**, Th favourite brad is a crow between the Leicester and 

 the old large Connaught breed. The long-horned Leicester is the 

 meet common breed of black cattle reared for the market There are 

 fw large dairy-farm*, but a considerable quantity of butter is made 

 in all puts of the county. 



The linen manufacture, which was carried on to some extent, has 

 n*Hnjd. Coarse woollen stuns an made by the wives and daughters 

 of the faraera. Then an small manufacture* of brick, earthenware, 

 and tobacco-pipe*. 



S3 then wen 138,505 acre* under crop, of which 1338 acres 

 gnw wheat ; fll.Wl acne, oat* ; 780 acres, barley, bere, rye, peas, and 

 bean*; 3,124 acres, potetoo* ; 4900 acre*, turnips ; 2638 acre*, mangel- 



wnnel, carrot*, and other green crops ; 535 acres, flax ; 30,299 acres, 

 meadow and clover. In 1841 there were in plantation 8093 acres 

 growing oak, ash, elm, firs, beech, mixed timber, and fruit. In 1852 

 on 19,610 holdings, there were 8992 horses, 5558 mules and asses, 

 84,880 head of cattle, 110,117 sheep, 22,388 pigs, 12,291 goats, and 

 260,767 head of poultry. The total value of the live stock here 

 enumerated was estimated at 794,1672. 



IHvitloiu and Tovnu. The county is maiuly in the diocese of Elphin, 

 with small portions in the dioceses of Ardagh, Tuam, and Clonfert, and 

 contains 58 parishes. It is divided into 9 baronies Athlone, Ballin- 

 tober (north and south), Ballymoe, Boyle, Castlerea, Frenchpark, 

 Moycarn, and Roscommon. The principal towns are ROSCOMMON, 

 BOYLE, part of BALLINASLOE, part of ATHLONE, CASTLKBEA, ELPHIN, 

 and STROKESTOWN, which are noticed under their respective titles. 

 The following are some of the smaller towns and more important 

 villages, with the population of each in 1851 : 



Frenchpark is a small market-town, situated on the Strokestown 

 and Ballina road, about 21 miles N.N.W. from Roscommon. It 

 consists of two straggling streets intersecting each other, and con- 

 tains a few substantial houses. It has a Roman Catholic chapel, a 

 court-house, a new market-house, and a school, partially endowed. A 

 manor court is held in the town. Fairs are held on May 21st, July 

 12th, and September 21st. Thursday is the market-day. 



Keadue, population 206, a post-town, in the barony of Boyle, is 

 situated on the road from Leitrim to Sligo, 35 miles N. from Roscom- 

 mon. It contains a Roman Catholic chapel, a court-house, a new 

 market-house, a dispensary, one or two endowed schools, and the 

 ruins of the ancient parish church, in the burial-ground of which 

 Carolan, the last of the Irish bards, who died in 1738, was interred. 

 There is a weekly market, and fairs are held eight times a year. 



Athleague, population 331, a village 5 miles S. by W. from Roscom- 

 mon, on the river Suck, where it is divided into several channels, 

 crossed obliquely by a chain of low bridges, with a connecting cause- 

 way. The place consists of a long street running from the end of the 

 causeway along the right bank of the river, with another rising at right 

 angles to it up the elevated bank. There are a few neat houses in the 

 outskirts, but the village has not many buildings better than cabins. 

 It contains a decayed parish church, a Roman Catholic chapel, a dis- 

 pensary, a constabulary barrack, and some large flour-mills and malt- 

 houses, which have gone out of use. Fairs are held on July llth and 

 September 24th. Knackcrogiiery, population 2S2, is pleasantly situated 

 on a rising ground, 5 miles S.E. from Roscommon by the Athlone road, 

 and consists of a single street of well-kept cabins, with a few better 

 buildings. It contains the parish church, which has school-houses 

 connected with it. A number of the inhabitants are employed in the 

 manufacture of tobacco-pipes, for which there are eight kilns in the 

 village. Fairs are held on May 26th, August 21st, and October 25th, 

 the last being a great sheep fair. Loughylynn, population 265, is 

 situated on the south shore of Lough Glynn, and on the Castlerea and 

 Foxford road, 22 miles N.W. from Roscommon. It contains some 

 good houses, a Roman Catholic chapel, and a dispensary. Fairs are 

 held four times a year. Mount Talbot, a neat village on the Suck 

 River, 7 miles S.S.W. from Roscommou, has a parish church and a 

 Roman Catholic chapel. The river is here crossed by a bridge of 12 

 arches. Talbot House, the scat of the Talbot family, is a fine old 

 castellated mansion adjacent to the village. Fairs are held four times 

 a year. Rusky, or Eoosky, population 246, a village situated on the 

 Shannon, and on the Dublin and Sligo road, 22 miles N.E. by N. from 

 Roscommon, is partly on the Leitrim side, but chiefly on the Ros- 

 common side of the river, which is crossed by a bridge of 9 arches. 

 A rapid in the river is here passed by a canal a quarter of a mile in 

 length. Petty sessions are held monthly. Tidsk, population returned 

 with that of the parish, was formerly an incorporated town returning 

 two members to the Irish Parliament, but now consists of a few 

 cottages, a school-house, and a constabulary barrack. It contains the 

 ruins of a castle built by O'Conor Roe in 1406, and the church walls, 

 two pointed arches, and other remains of an abbey supposed to have 

 been founded in the same century. 



Tho county returns two members to the Imperial Parliament. The 

 county jail is at Roscommon, where the assizes are held. Quarter 

 sessions are held at Roscommou, Athlone, Boyle, Castlerea, and 

 Strokestown. Petty sessions are held iu 19 places. The county 

 infirmary is at Roscommon. The district lunatic asylum for Con- 

 naught, to which the county is entitled to send 40 patients, is at 

 Ballinasloe There are dispensaries in 1 6 places. A savings bank is 

 established at Boyle. In September 185.2 there were 102 National 

 schools in the county, attended by 6229 male and 5883 female 

 children. 



llittory and Antiquities. The Auteri, a people mentioned by Ptole- 

 msous, first appear in history as the possessors of this part of Ireland. 

 At a later period it was occupied by various septs, of which tho 

 principal were the two branches of the O'Conors the 0' Conors Roe 

 or Ruadh (red), and the O'Conors Don or Dhunne (brown), the 

 Macdermots, the O'Dalys, and the O'Kellys. 



Seven years after the Anglo-Norman invasion the county was 

 attacked by Miles de Cogan, one of the English adventurers, who was 

 joined by Murrough, son of Roderic, king of Ireland, at the head of a 

 body of malcontents. The natives, by driving away their cattle and 



