Roscommon County

County Roscommon is one of those places in the Central Plains of Ireland where the landscape tends to resonate with a greater sense of history having unfolded here. Dominated to the west by the River Shannon and peppered with innumerable lakes and bogs, the Roscommon terrain would offer ample chance for fishing, boating, and bird-watching. Key historic attractions in the town include medieval architecture such as Roscommon Castle, a stronghold of the Normans, and Rathcroghan Complex, known to have conducted pre-historic burials while at the same time it acted as one of the royal sites for Gaelic Ireland and is therefore provisionally on a list for UNESCO World Heritage consideration. This is a mythical and historical site—held by tradition to be a center of royal inauguration and a major ceremonial gathering. Then there is Strokestown Park House with its period furnishings and the wonderfully restored Palladian mansion, all depicting the life of the gentry and the deprivation, most notably in the Great Famine, through its Famine Museum. The blend of its scenic beauty with historical depth makes Roscommon a place of interest for the people interested in ancient East Ireland and the natural tranquility of the lakelands.