County Roscommon is positioned in Irelands Mid West and is an extended County that borders seven different counties. These counties being Longford, Sligo, Leitrim, Galway, Westmeath and Offaly.
The realm is thought for nice farming and great agriculture, but additionally packed stuffed 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 checklist of one of the best 10 issues to do in Roscommon. Every thing on the checklist 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
If you happen to’re on the lookout for enjoyable and fascinating issues to do in Roscommon, listed here are a number of choices.
1. Go to Roscommon Citadel Ruins
Situated 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 includes 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 12 months spherical to guests. The higher components 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 youngsters 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 12 months 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 large 165km heritage stroll is in honor to these 1490 males, girls and kids who made the stroll in the course of 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 identified to be very average.
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 a choice of pens with very pleasant animals. The primary part has goats, hens, deer, emus, geese, monkeys and even a bearded dragon. Transferring by the farm right into a second part leads right into a barn space the place all of the native and native pigs stay.
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 dwelling 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 a complete host of children play tools. Different additions embrace a fairy path by 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 Key’s 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 high stroll, zipping tree journey, youngsters playground in addition to many strolling tracks and even a restaurant all on sight.
Essentially the most notable attraction is the sixteenth century McDermott Citadel positioned on a island in the course of the Lough itself.
The citadel has its personal romantic little story.
“Native legend tells the story of a woman referred to 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 could deter the budding relationship.
Unbeknownst to her father, Una’s boyfriend started swimming throughout Lough Key to achieve the citadel. It was throughout certainly one of these crossings that tragedy struck, and the boy drowned.
It’s mentioned that Una died from grief and that each she and her companion have remained buried beneath two intertwined bushes on the island ever since”
5. A tour by Arigna Mines
Arigna Mines is a high Roscommon attraction, a mine which loved an extended 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 group initiative, was reopened as a customer attraction. The mining expertise at Arigna paperwork the nations first and final coal mine. The excursions are taken with ex-miners so that you at all times know that the data is one of the best out there.
The mine can also be the beginning of the Miners Manner 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 totally 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 fashioned strolling observe.
7. Have a look by Boyle Abbey
Boyle Abbey is a Cistercian monastery which was based as early because the twelfth century by monks from Mellifont Abbey. It was some of the highly effective of the early Cistercian foundations in Ireland and among the many highest within the Provence of Connacht.
The Abbey has in recent times had the gatehouse restored and the entire Abbey is open as a customer attraction for anybody to try this fascinating 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 most important stroll being an 11km stroll masking the entire of the park space. The tracks are properly pathed and maintained and accessible for all with parking out there at totally different components of the park and in the beginning of a few of the trails.
Be certain that to take a look at areas just like the bluebell stroll the place the forest ground is roofed within the shiny color of the bluebells. A fairy stroll for youths 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 properties, faculties, hospitals and lots of different companies in Eire.
The entire Slieve Bawn website has 6 strolling tracks in whole that are all totally different distances and join with one another, giving many choices to get out and see. If you happen to attain the summit, you’ll be on the third highest level in County Roscommon.
Heritage areas alongside the hike embrace a mass rock, church ruins, holy cross in addition to exercise areas like scatterings of gymnasium tools so that you can take pleasure in and a youngsters’s playground.
10. Have a stroll round Castlerea Demense
Enter by the sq. within the city of Castlerea and you will discover the nice website of Castlerea Demense which can also be a part of the big Suck Valley Manner strolling observe.
The Demense is a really properly maintained strolling observe alongside the well-known Suck Valley river which meanders by these forest environment.
Alongside the best way trough the Demense lies a fairy backyard, a musical space for youths and on the northern finish of the stroll the native swimming pool and kids’s playground are extraordinarily spectacular and so properly maintained.
One other space of the Demense is a area is a observe main by the dense forest bringing you on a wonderful 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 checklist of issues to do in Roscommon, you’ll have to discover a good place to remain. The County of Roscommon has three primary accommodations scattered alongside the the county.
- The Hodson Bay: That is positioned within the northern finish of Roscommon nearer to Westmeath’s primary city Athlone. A premium lodge 4* and spa which is conveniently positioned simply off the principle Dublin to Galway motorway.
- The Abbey Hotel: Completely positioned within the centre of the Roscommon city lies this 4* lodge. Nice entry to all facilities together with native prepare hyperlinks to Dublin and a number of eateries and outlets inside the city centre.
- Kilronan Castle: That is in all probability Roscommon’s characteristic 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 identified for its great eating experiences with award profitable 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.
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