Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin, "Saint Coman's wood") is the county town in the county of Roscommon in Ireland.

Get in

By car

From Dublin

Follow the M4, then take the M6 Galway-bound until Athlone. Finally take Exit 12 for Roscommon just after crossing the River Shannon.

By train

From Dublin

Regular service to 1 Roscommon station on the Westport line from Heuston station. Advanced tickets can be bought online.

By bus

From Dublin

Regular service from Dublin (Busaras) to county Roscommon, serving towns of Strokestown, Tulsk, Ballinagar, Frenchpark and Ballaghaderreen, departing Dublin Busaras at 07:00, 10:00, 13:00, 16:00, 16:30, 22:30. The journey will taken between 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

From Galway

Regular service from Eyre Square to Roscommon town via Mountbellow/Ballygar seven days a week. Timetable and far info can be found here.

Get around

There are a number of local taxi and hackney operators, with a taxi rank located at The Square, Roscommon Town. There are no local bus routes within the town, but it is small enough to easily explore on foot without worry of getting lost.

Hitchhiking may be a dying aspect of Irish culture, but it is possible nonetheless. If you'd hope to hitchhike your best bet is to walk a kilometre or so out of town in order to increase your chances of being picked up.

See

• Rinn Dúin Medieval Village, Lecarrow. Deserted Medieval Village. 
• Roscommon Castle, Castle Street (From the town square, walk down the lane to the left of Stone Court shopping centre (the old jail).). The castle 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 remodeled 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. A symmetrical moat some distance from the curtain walls surrounded the entire castle and safeguarded it. It's now a national monument. Free. 
• Old Gaol, The Square (behind Harrison Hall / Bank of Ireland.). The Old Gaol now houses a modern shopping centre. The facade is all that remains of the original structure. The original building is thought to have been designed by Richard Cassells in 1736. The gaol had the distinction of having a hang woman ‘Lady Betty’, a criminal who had her sentence withdrawn on the provision that she perform the unpaid task of hang woman. In 1822 it was taken over for use as a lunatic asylum. In 1833 it became a ‘Lazaretto’ – a place where outcasts who suffered from small pox were confined. Sometime after 1840 the building was converted to residential and commercial use. Free. 
• 1 Roscommon Abbey, Circular Rd. Ruins of a Dominican Friary.  
• 2 Roscommon Museum, The Square (between Gleeson's Restaurant and Regan's Pub.), ☏ +353 90 662-5613. M-F 10:00-16:00. Formerly a Presbyterian Church built in 1863, the building now houses the County Museum and the Tourism office. The building is of cut limestone with a large recessed door, circular headed windows and fenestration on the wheel window over the door is in the form of the ‘Star of David’ to commemorate its Welsh Builders. The building was renovated in 1991 and now contains many exhibits and artifacts illustrating and interpreting the history of Roscommon. Among the artifacts on display are a 9th century grave slab from St Comans Abbey and a Sheela na Gig from Rahara church. Free.  
• 3 Sacred Heart Church, Abbey St. Impressive Catholic church with sunken grotto, painted ceiling and mosaic floor.  
• Harrison Hall, The Square (at the top of Main Street, in the centre of The Square), ☏ +353 90 662-6171. Once the site of a 17th century sessions house, which collapsed with great loss of life, it was remodeled in 1762 by Ensor and converted into a court house and market house. It is built in the classical architectural style. It was purchased for use as a catholic church in 1863, when it was extended to the south with a cupola above.. After 1903 it became a recreational hall to commemorate John Harrison (who was a doctor in Roscommon town’s workhouse, during the famine of the 1840s) it was used as a dance hall, cinema and theatre before it was sold to the Bank of Ireland who adapted the old building for use as a bank in 1972. Free. (updated Mar 2019)
• Roscommon Library, Abbeytown. Interesting building, which formerly served as an infirmary. 
• Rathcroghan, the oldest and largest un-excavated Royal Site in Europe. Visitor centre located in the village of Tulsk, with the site itself located a few kilometres west of Tulsk on the N5.
• Arigna Mining Experience a centre dedicated to the coal mining history of Arigna over a period of 400 years, local geology and coal, as well as new forms of renewable energy. It is Ireland's first museum dedicated to coal mining.
• La Tene Stone Castlestrange Demense. Ornamental stone dating to 200BC.

Do

• Golf. Roscommon Golf Club was founded in 1904, the course, set in parklands filled with mature sycamore, beech, whitethorn and ash trees, was extended to eighteen holes in 1996 and now measures 6,390 metres (6,900 yards) 
• Leisure Centre. Roscommon has a leisure centre which opened early 2002 and has a 25 m (82 ft) deck level pool with a learner swimming pool and spectator gallery and fully equipped gymnasium. Situated next to the swimming pool is the home of Roscommon's most successful sport - St Coman's handball club. Established in 1930 the club has produced many All-Ireland winning handballers. 
• 1 Roscommon Racecourse, Lenebane, Racecourse Road, Roscommon town, F42 V052 (Off N60), ☏ +353 90 662 6231, roscommonracecourse@eircom.net. The track is an oblong right-handed track 2 km (1.25 mi) in length, and the course has stabling for up to 95 horses.  
• See a GAA match. Dr Douglas Hyde Park, with a capacity of 30,000, is an important Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) venue in Ireland and is home to Roscommon GAA and Roscommon Gaels GAA Club which is the local club for Roscommon Town. 
• Portrun Playground, jetties and scenic walks on the banks of Lough Ree. No boat rental, though boats can dock at the modern jetty for free.
• Suck Valley Way. Walking trail along the banks of the River Suck, which can be completed in numerous sections. The section from Castlecoote to Athleague is highly recommended, though undertaking any stretch of this path depends on sound underfoot conditions.
• Mote Park, Athlone Road (take the N61 out of Roscommon towards Athlone for 5.5 km. It is the second road on the right after the railway level crossing). Mote Park was the former home estate of the Crofton family (now demolished); now it's a woodland area with mature hardwood trees covering several miles, popular with walkers. Free. 

Buy

Clothing

• John Ward Menswear, Church St. 
• Spirit Clothing, Harrison Centre. 
• Donnelan's, Main St. 
• John Corcoran Menswear, Church St. 
• DV8, Main St. 

Eat

• Jackson's, The Square. Italian Restaurant. 
• Gleeson's, The Square. Traditional Irish food. 
• La Trattoria, Stone Court Shopping Centre. Italian Restaurant. 
• Pepper Mill is on County Home Road, Roscommon Town.
• Magnum's, Main St, Roscommon. Fast food. 

Drink

Traditional Pubs

• J.S. Murray's, Knockcroghery. Pub. A very famous pub, with the football from the 1944 All-Ireland final is still on display in the pub.
• The Claypipe, Knockroghery. 1970s feel.
• Ned's Bar, Knockcroghery. 
• Central Bar, The Square, Roscommon Town. Pints €4 (September 2019).
• JJ Harlows, The Square, Roscommon Town. Impressive selection of craft beers/spirits, with a focus on Irish producers. Live music most weekends.
• McCrann's, Castle St. (Opens from 21:00 Wednesday - Sunday). Original mid-20th century interior, with a simple drinks offering. A must for those after a genuinely traditional pub.

Modern

• The Hollywood, Castle St. 
• Cattigans, Castle St

Nightclubs

• Rockford's, Castle St. 

Sleep

• Abbey Hotel, Abbeytown, ☏ +353 90 662-6240. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. 
• Gleesons, The Square, ☏ +353 90 662-6954. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 14:00. 
• Hannons Hotel, Athlone Rd, ☏ +353 90 663-7644. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:30. 
• Hodson Bay Hotel, Hodson Bay, ☏ +353 90 644-2000. Check-in: 16:30, check-out: 12:00. 

Connect

Visit Roscommon

Go next

• Carrick-on-Shannon
• Athlone
• Knockcroghery