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County Roscommon |
Not to be confused with Roscommon County, Michigan, United States
| County Roscommon Contae Ros Comáin |
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| Location | ||
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| Statistics | ||
| Province: | Connacht | |
| County seat: | Roscommon | |
| Code: | RN | |
| Area: | 2,547 km2 (983 sq mi) | |
| Population (2006) | 58,700 | |
County Roscommon (Irish: Contae Ros Comáin) is a county located in central Ireland. Area: 2,547 square kilometres (983 sq mi). Roscommon is in the province of Connacht. It is the only county in Connacht that does not have a sea shore.
Roscommon is also the name of the county town. Athlone, on the River Shannon, which lies partly in Roscommon and partly in County Westmeath (in the neighbouring province of Leinster), is considered to be Ireland's most central town. Tulsk is the nearest village to the mythological site of Rath Cruachán, home of Queen Medb (Maebh, Maeve) and the Morrigan, which was the starting point for an epic tale in Irish Literature of the Táin Bó Cúailgne, or Cattle Raid of Cooley, famously translated by Thomas Kinsella. In 2008 it was revealed that statistically, Roscommon has the longest life expectancy of any county on the island of Ireland.
Lough Key in north Roscommon is noted for having thirty-two islands. This is, coincidentally, the number of counties on the island of Ireland.
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County Roscommon is twinned with Tucson, Arizona, USA [1] and with Castle Point, Essex, England since April 1998.1
Roscommon comes from the Irish 'Ros' meaning a wooded, gentle height and 'Coman', the name of the county's famous saint and the first bishop of the see. Rathcroghan was home to the Kings of Connacht and then to the High Kings of Ireland. Dr Douglas Hyde (first Irish president) was born in County Roscommon and the GAA park in County Roscommon is named after him - Hyde Park. Strokestown Park House and Famine Museum is an award-winning museum for its portrayal of the great Irish Famine. 2
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