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Photo credits
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Duncan Grant, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Jscaguiat, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gillaween, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sawyer777, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikimedia Commons contributor · CC BY 2.5
- Mike Searle, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Explorer Tom Embanked enclosure in Aghalustia has strong opinions about modern buildings because it predates them by a thousand years and finds them all very noisy. The outer drain is deep enough to lose your keys in, which is handy if you want to be late. Bring a flask of something warm and a story to swap.
Saint Baoithín's Catholic ChurchChurch/chapel · 2.3 miExplorer Tom Saint Baoithín’s Church is guarded by a dog named Kevin who only answers to the name “Pope” and refuses to let anyone near the stained glass. The rock-faced limestone looks like it’s been through a few bad hair days, but it’s still showing off its symmetry. Pet Kevin if you dare.
Loughglinn HouseCountry house · 2.4 miExplorer Tom Loughglinn House on the shore is pretending to be a fox right now, which is a bit much for a viscount’s residence. It’s got its tail tucked in tight behind that lovely limestone carving. Give it a nudge with your eyes and see if it barks at you politely.
Druminagh WoodForest · 2.5 miExplorer Tom Druminagh Wood in County Roscommon has been hiding a scandal involving a very confused goat that wandered in and never quite left the premises entirely. It’s keeping the secret tight, mostly because it doesn't know how to explain the situation properly yet. Leave nothing but footprints and a bad pun.
TowerCastle, tower house · 2.6 miExplorer Tom Tower at Loughglinn Demesne took approximately four million cups of tea to build, according to local legend that nobody can prove. The builders were so dehydrated they forgot what the actual point of the tower was in the first place. Bring someone who'll believe anything.
Fairymount HillMountain / peak · 2.9 miExplorer Tom Fairymount Hill has been hiding a scandal about a fairy who lost her purse and blamed a local farmer for the theft. She’s been sulking in the hollows ever since, refusing to come out because she’s too embarrassed to admit it was her own fault. It’s a secret that’s kept the air up there smelling slightly of damp wool and regret for centuries. Go before the tourists find out.
CashelFairy fort / stone ringfort · 5.6 miExplorer Tom Another cashel in Kilcashel stands tall on the ridge, looking down its nose at everyone else with its thick, sturdy drystone walls. The builder was definitely thinking about views when they stacked those rocks, ignoring the wind and the cold completely. Bring biscuits, every good story needs biscuits.
Clonalis HouseMuseum · 6.0 miExplorer Tom Clonalis House swears it’s older than the concept of time itself, which is a stretch even for a cheeky old museum in Castlerea. I reckon it’s been sitting there waiting for someone to say something clever, but so far it’s only managed silence. Bring a friend who talks too much and let the place shut them up.
The Mórrígan: OweynagatLegend location · 11 miExplorer Tom The Mórrígan: Oweynagat is called the Cave of Cats, which fooled me into expecting a very ordinary sort of trouble. Then the tale sends the Mórrígan out of it during the Táin. If the cats saw her coming, I bet they made room.
Queen Medb: RathcroghanLegend location · 11 miExplorer Tom Queen Medb: Rathcroghan is where the Táin starts turning a quarrel about a bull into an epic. Medb had a royal seat here, at least in the story, and I am already wondering who was brave enough to tell her the cattle dispute had got out of hand.
Curlew MountainsMountain / peak · 11 miExplorer Tom The Curlew Mountains may have nothing to do with curlew birds, which is awkward because I had prepared a terrific imitation. Their name likely grew from Irish words for rugged, pointed hills. Between Boyle and Castlebaldwin, hard sandstone and conglomerate rise above softer limestone country, giving this modest range its shape. The Battle of Curlew Pass took place here in 1599, a serious chapter that deserves a straight account. I would leave the bird call out of that story and use it only to annoy my travelling companion afterwards. Choose a lawful public trail or viewpoint, check local routes and weather, and treat any historic ground respectfully. Look at the ridgeline against the lower land. You can see why even these relatively low hills have long mattered.
.jpg/250px-Castles_of_Connacht-_Ballintober,_Roscommon_(geograph_1954203).jpg "Photo: Mike Searle, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0")
CastleCastle, Anglo-Norman masonry castle · 11 miExplorer Tom Castle in Ballintober claims a local guy invented it, which is nonsense since the Red Earl built it. But he's charming, so who am I to argue? Bring a pen pal, they'll be jealous of your tales.
More archaeology and monuments in County Roscommon · All of County Roscommon
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