County Roscommon is situated in Irelands Mid West and is a protracted County that borders seven different counties. These counties being Longford, Sligo, Leitrim, Galway, Westmeath and Offaly.
The realm is understood for excellent farming and great agriculture, but additionally packed filled with nice and great historical past and a variety of issues to do.
After researching and experiencing as a lot as we will, we’ve compiled this record of the most effective 10 issues to do in Roscommon. All the pieces on the record has been tried and examined by ourselves.
See additionally: Things to do with Kids in Ireland in the West
The ten greatest issues to do in Roscommon
Should you’re searching for enjoyable and attention-grabbing issues to do in Roscommon, listed below are a number of choices.
1. Go to Roscommon Citadel Ruins
Positioned moments from the centre of Roscommon City lies Roscommon Citadel ruins.
The citadel which now lies in ruins, is a Thirteenth-century Norman citadel which was as soon as of Hugh O’Connor, the King of Connaught. It contains a quadrangular plan with rounded bastions on the corners and a double-towered entrance gate.
The attraction is free to go to and is at all times open all yr spherical to guests. The higher elements of the bastions and the opposite stairwells are inaccessible however in any other case you might be free to roam the within.
A park space, with lake, strolling tracks and children playground are additionally inside this one space.
See additionally: Walking Tracks of Ireland’s Mid West
2. Check out Strokestown Home and the Famine Museum
A grade one listed constructing, this 300 yr previous manor home is steeped in historical past. The home and grounds are actually within the arms of the Irish heritage belief.
The home can also be residence to Eire’s Nationwide Famine Museum and, after an enormous authorities grant, they’ve simply accomplished redevelopment of the museum and customer centre, making the expertise all the higher and enabling this nice piece of historical past to be proven for a few years to come back.
Peak season excursions of the home and museum can be found alongside a woodland stroll and Strokestown homes personal walled gardens.
The grounds are additionally residence to the beginning of the famine stroll. This big 165km heritage stroll is in honor to these 1490 males, ladies and youngsters who made the stroll throughout the Irish famine in 1847. The stroll has been specified by sections with many selecting to finish over a seven-day interval. The tracks are recognized to be very reasonable.
3. Take the children to Glendeer Pet Farm
Glendeer Pet Farm is a youngsters’s petting farm within the north finish of County Roscommon very near the Westmeath and Galway borders.
The farm begins off winding by way of a choice of pens with very pleasant animals. The primary part has goats, hens, deer, emus, geese, monkeys and even a bearded dragon. Shifting by way of the farm right into a second part leads right into a barn space the place all of the native and native pigs reside.
Within the subsequent part of the farm you’ll discover donkeys. This space additionally has Alpacas, horses, cows and the Belted Galloway (a breed of Scottish cow that tailored itself to residing on the poor and windy moorlands) – the Wallaby, a local Australian animal, is discovered right here.
The final space of the farm has meerkats and pheasants with a choice of wild birds.
The farm additionally has many play areas with indoor and outside slides, swings, programs and an entire host of children play gear. Different additions embody a fairy path by way of the woods and an previous 1850’s restored cottage, full with unique fixtures and fittings.
See additionally: Waterfalls in the North West of Ireland
4. Go to Lough Key Forest Park
Lough Secret is a 300 hectare Park, forest and lake within the coronary heart of county Roscommon.
The park has many many issues to do together with boat rides, SUP, excursions of the grounds, tree prime stroll, zipping tree journey, youngsters playground in addition to many strolling tracks and even a restaurant all on sight.
Probably the most notable attraction is the sixteenth century McDermott Citadel situated on a island in the midst of the Lough itself.
The citadel has its personal romantic little story.
“Native legend tells the story of a woman known as Una, the daughter of the McDermott chief, who fell in love with a boy from a decrease class.
Una’s father refused to let her go away the island, within the hopes that this may deter the budding relationship.
Unbeknownst to her father, Una’s boyfriend started swimming throughout Lough Key to succeed in the citadel. It was throughout one among these crossings that tragedy struck, and the boy drowned.
It’s mentioned that Una died from grief and that each she and her accomplice have remained buried beneath two intertwined bushes on the island ever since”
5. A tour by way of Arigna Mines
Arigna Mines is a prime Roscommon attraction, a mine which loved a protracted historical past of mining which was actively used as a coal mine from 1700’s till as latest as early 1990.
It was then again in 2003 that the mine, pushed by a neighborhood initiative, was reopened as a customer attraction. The mining expertise at Arigna paperwork the international locations first and final coal mine. The excursions are taken with ex-miners so that you at all times know that the data is the most effective obtainable.
The mine can also be the beginning of the Miners Method Stroll, a stroll that’s 118-kilometre lengthy round route that begins and ends in Arigna village.
6. See the Elphin Windmill
Opened as a vacationer attraction in 1996, The Elphin windmill is the one absolutely restored windmill within the west of Eire.
This mill was initially used for grinding corn and some different grains and is now residence to a customer centre which reveals how the windmill operated and are additionally demonstrated.
Adjoining to the windmill is a newly shaped strolling observe.
7. Have a look by way of Boyle Abbey
Boyle Abbey is a Cistercian monastery which was based as early because the twelfth century by monks from Mellifont Abbey. It was one of the crucial highly effective of the early Cistercian foundations in Ireland and among the many highest within the Provence of Connacht.
The Abbey has lately had the gatehouse restored and the entire Abbey is open as a customer attraction for anybody to try this attention-grabbing piece of Irish historical past.
8. Lose your self in Mote Park
Mote Park is a woodland park space simply north of Roscommon city.
The park has loads of strolling trails all inter-looping into one another with the largest stroll being an 11km stroll overlaying the entire of the park space. The tracks are effectively pathed and maintained and accessible for all with parking obtainable at completely different elements of the park and at first of a few of the trails.
Make sure that to take a look at areas just like the bluebell stroll the place the forest ground is roofed within the brilliant color of the bluebells. A fairy stroll for teenagers can also be on this website with enjoyable fairy homes that are all produced by locals.
9. Hike Slieve Bawn Wind Farm
Slieve Bawn is a wind farm up within the Roscommon hills. In whole, Slieve Bawn has 20 wind generators and a sub-station producing electrical energy for houses, faculties, hospitals and lots of different companies in Eire.
The entire Slieve Bawn website has 6 strolling tracks in whole that are all completely different distances and join with one another, giving many choices to get out and see. Should you attain the summit, you’ll be on the third highest level in County Roscommon.
Heritage areas alongside the hike embody a mass rock, church ruins, holy cross in addition to exercise areas like scatterings of fitness center gear so that you can take pleasure in and a youngsters’s playground.
10. Have a stroll round Castlerea Demense
Enter by way of the sq. within the city of Castlerea and you’ll discover the good website of Castlerea Demense which can also be a part of the massive Suck Valley Method strolling observe.
The Demense is a really effectively maintained strolling observe alongside the well-known Suck Valley river which meanders by way of these forest environment.
Alongside the best way trough the Demense lies a fairy backyard, a musical space for teenagers and on the northern finish of the stroll the native swimming pool and youngsters’s playground are extraordinarily spectacular and so effectively maintained.
One other space of the Demense is a discipline is a observe main by way of the dense forest bringing you on a superb and peaceable journey once more alongside the river.
See additionally: Top Experiences and Things to Do in Ireland
The place to remain in Roscommon
Whereas checking off your record of issues to do in Roscommon, you’ll must discover a good place to remain. The County of Roscommon has three principal lodges scattered alongside the the county.
- The Hodson Bay: That is situated within the northern finish of Roscommon nearer to Westmeath’s principal city Athlone. A premium lodge 4* and spa which is conveniently situated simply off the primary Dublin to Galway motorway.
- The Abbey Hotel: Completely situated within the centre of the Roscommon city lies this 4* lodge. Nice entry to all facilities together with native practice hyperlinks to Dublin and a bunch of eateries and retailers throughout the city centre.
- Kilronan Castle: That is most likely Roscommon’s function lodge, this 4* rated restored nation home and 40 acres grounds is an ideal spot to loosen up and unwind. That includes among the finest spa and leisure complexes within the west of Eire. Kilronan can also be recognized for its great eating experiences with award successful kitchen.
Chalk and Cheese Travels
In our posts, we share with you our top picks in food and cultural adventures as well as any general tips we figured out, (usually the hard way!) on our travels. As a recently married chef and teacher, together we have visited 5 continents and been travelling the world for over 10 years.
