Although Roscommon is not located by the sea, on three sides it is surrounded by water. It is a land of lakes, rivers and forests, as well as a very long and rich history. Here are the remains of the ancient capital Connacht, Rath Cruachán, as well as sites associated with the Battle of the Boyne River.
In the county landscape, the most characteristic thing is water. The eastern border is washed by the waters of Lake Lough Ree, and in its central part is Lake Lough key. In addition to them, there are many smaller reservoirs, and the Schannon River flows here. Around Lake Key stretches over 350 ha of forests that once belonged to the Rockingham family estate. Today it is a forest park with walking trails, recreation area and sports facilities.
At a time when Ireland was divided into four great kingdoms, there was a royal power center in Roscommon. Today, the ruins of Rathcroghan (Ráth Cruachan) are one of the most important archaeological sites in the country. Traces of settlement dating back to the Neolithic period were discovered here, and the capital was inhabited until the early Middle Ages.
The second place significant for Irish history is around Boyle, where you can see the ruins of the huge Romanesque Cistercian abbey, one of the largest in Ireland, and near the city under the Curlew Pass stands the modern Gaelic Chieftain monument commemorating the battle of 1599.
