Roscommon – the county town of the same name, is 68 miles west of Dublin, 15 north west of Athlone, 20 south of Boyle, 11 south of Strokestown, and 14 south east of Castlerea.
Roscommon Town, Pigot’s Directory 1824 (1)
The improvements made within the last few years, have been very considerable. The public buildings are the church, which is a neat edifice, a Catholic chapel, a handsome new gaol erected in 1819, an asylum for lunatics, and the old court house; but as the latter is not sufficiently convenient for the transaction of business, an extensive new court house is now building, contiguous to the new gaol, and when completed will be a handsome structure and very ornamental to the town.
The castle of Roscommon, now in ruins, was begun to be built in 1268, by Sir Robert de Ufford, the chief justice. In 1277 Thomas de Clare and O’Brien Roe having contentions, the latter was taken and beheaded, yet afterwards de Clare and his partisans were obliged to give hostages to make satisfaction for O’Brien’s death, and to surrender the castle. In 1566 Sir Henry Sidney took this castle, which had been in the possession of rebels one hundred and forty years, and left Thomas L’Estrange and twenty horsemen to garrison it. The English garrison of Roscommon in 1642, bravely defended themselves against the rebels; however it afterwards fell into the hands of the latter, and in 1652 was delivered up to Colonel Reynolds, a parliamentarian officer. On the estate of Sir Thomas Moriarty are also the remains of an old Abbey, once an establishment for Dominican friars; it is well worthy the notice of the antiquarian. The county infirmary is a modern building, erected in 1783, in which is a resident surgeon ; the present one is Mr. Thomas Lysaght. To this institution Mrs. Walcott liberally bequeathed one hundred pounds aer annum. Roscommon is the property of the
Earl of Essex, and is governed by his deputy seneschal in the person of Bernard Connor, esq. An extensive corn market is held on Saturday. here are two annual fairs, one on Whit-Monday and the other on the 15th of December. The population is 3359.
Post Office, Market-place Post Master – Mr. George Stretch. The Dublin mail arrives at ten in the morning, from Athlone, and is despatched at 35 minutes past three in the afternoon. The Ballymoe, Ballyhawnis, Castlerea and Mount-Talbot mails go by horse from this office at 35 minutes past ten in the morning, and return next morning. The office is open from seven in the morning till eleven at night.
Roscommon Town, Pigot’s Directory 1824 (2)
| Nobility and Gentry | |
| Elliott Armstrong, esq. Dunamon Castle James Balfe, esq. Runimede Rev. Thos. Blakney, Hollywell Arthur Brown, esq. Lisbride John Brown, esq. Mount-prospect Thos. Byrne, esq. Ballimakerly Rev. Oliver Carey, Hazlebrook John Carson, esq. Castle-street Henry Corr, esq. Durham Thos. Corr esq. Grove Lord Crofton, esq. Mote-park Andrew Cusack, esq. Castlemine Patrick Cusack, esq. Springlawn Mrs. Eustice, Abbeyville Daniel Ferrall, esq. Beechwood Rev. H. Gallaher |
Robt. Goff esq. high sheriff Rev. Lewis Hawkes, Briarfield John Hurst, esq. Clover-hill Charles Irwin, esq. Rocksboro John Irwin, esq. Rocksboro Edward Maypother, esq. Kilteeven Edward Mills, esq. Fairy-mount M.A. Mills esq. Temple Mrs. Mitchell, Coolmine Sir Thos. Moriarty, Bart Abbeytown Lewis Ormsby, esq. Brook-lodge Thos. Radcliffe esq. Castlecoote Michael Sherkey, esq. Main-street David Thompson , esq. Market-Place Wm. Thompson esq. Market-place Wills —-, esq. major of police, Rockley-park |
| Merchants, Tradesmen &c. | |
| ApothecariesMiles Casserly, Market-place V.Fitzgerald, Main-street Edward Hart, Main-street Bernard Mulranan, Market-place Attorneys Luke McKeoagh, Main-street Auctioneers John Conyers, Lainsboro-street Bakers Saml. Goodman, Main-street Boot and Shoe Makers Michael Brown, Church-street Brewer Luke Corr, Market-place Grocers Michl. Grealy, Church-street Innkeepers Michael Flynn, Castle-street Ironmongers Wm. Harrison, Main-street Leather Sellers Wm. Harrison, Main-street |
Linen and Woollen Drapers
B. Balding, Main-street Painters and Glaziers John Fox, Lainsboro-street Physicians and Surgeons Thos. Lysaght (to the infirmary) Publicans Charles Carson, Market-place Saddlers and Harness Makers Malachy Sharkey, Main-street Tailors Patrick Callery, Castle-street Tallow Chandlers Wm. Harrison, Main-street Tanner Charles Harrison, Main-street Watch Maker Peter Calcutt, Castle-street Miscellaneous Patrick O’Connor, tobacco manufacturer, Main-street Stamp Office at the Post Office |
O’Rorke’s Car every morning at ten, from Castlerea, passes through Lainsboro to Killshee, to meet the canal packet to Dublin, and returns through Roscommon at four in the afternoon for Castlerea.
The nearest town, where Coaches pass through, to and from Dublin, &c. are Longford and Athlone, each 15 miles distant.