Roscrea Heritage Society was founded in 1980 to develop Roscrea Heritage Centre at the Roscrea Castle Complex, specifically at the proposed restoration of the Damer Annex.

Its genesis lay in an evolving awareness of local heritage as evidenced by the Old Roscrea Society (1969) and the 100 Years of Roscrea exhibition organised by GC and held at Maher’s Auction rooms in Rosemary to celebrate their centenary in 1979. The saving of Damer House and its initial restoration was also a major catalyst in the founding of RHS.

Roscrea Heritage Centre, the first such in Ireland was officially opened in 1983 and won a special award in the European Museum of the Year for its ground breaking approaches to all aspects of heritage.
Along with the restoration of the Annex the Heritage Society engaged in all types of archaeological and environmental surveys under AnCo/FÁS, and published many of the results.

RHS were given the 99 year lease on the entire Damer House complex in 1995 by the Irish Georgian Society. Immediately on taking over the lease dry rot and wet rot meant that major restoration programmes had to be carried out, both on the house and annex.

Though the good offices of Dr Tony Ryan and GPA, substantial funds enabled the society in the late 1980s to clear the castle yard of all the inappropriate modern buildings and to continue work on the garden . The generous financial injection also precipitated the participation of the State, and a partnership agreement with them and RHS evolved on all aspects of Roscrea Heritage. The OPW (now Dúchas) commenced major conservation and restoration work on the castle and gardens.

The early 1990s saw the complex open for visitors on a year round basis.
At this time, too, the buildings surrounding the Round Tower were acquired by RHS, demolished and the site handed over to the State.
Major work then commenced at this monastic site of St Cronan. The Black/Manor Mills are being restored to house a basic interpretation of Monastic Roscrea and also to house the 12th Century Cross of St Cronan and the Timoney Stone.

The adjoining field was generously donated to Roscrea People Trust by Mr George J.J. Fasenfeld for the creation of a town park or garden; in turn this site was handed over to Dúchas who are developing the garden to the landscape design of Ms Angela Jupe.
In 1999, RHS granted the State a 35 year lease of all their interest at the Castle complex in return for a continuing partnership/management agreement. Major work that was scheduled to commence at Damer House under the NDP in 2001 will, hopefully, get underway soon, following an architect’s report.

Guiding staff at Roscrea Heritage are employees of Duchas, under the supervision of Ms Mary O'Neill (see Damer House for details of submission etc.)