|
|
The Heritage Town of Roscrea
stands on the ancient road which ran in part from Tara to Cashel.
|
| This was the Slí Dhála,
part of which is still commemorated at Ballaghmore, Bealach Mór,
the great highway, five kms east of Roscrea on the N7. Roscrea was
at a crossroads of these ancient highways. One road ran north-south
from the midland monasteries and another ran east-west from the monasteries
of Aghaboe, Clonenagh and Kildare. |
| Monaincha
Abbey is classed as the 31st Wonder of the World. |
| This amazing fact occurred because
the island was known as the Island of the Living, the island on which
no one could die. It is so recorded in the Book of Ballymote as Insula
Viventium, the 31st Wonder of the World. |
| The
name Roscrea comes from the Irish Ros Cré, meaning the wood
of Cré |
| Most of Roscrea's older placenames
have their origins in the Gaelic past. They were given their English
spellings by the Ordnance Survey in the 1840s. In legend, Cré
in the Roscrea name was reputed to be the wife of Dála; and
the wood of Cré still lives on in the placename, Sean Ross,
the old wood, where the original settlement of St Cronan was sited. |
| Roscrea
was once the capital town and the monastic/diocesan centre for the
O'Carrolls of Ely. |
| This was the territory of Éile
Uí Chearbhaill. The name Ely or Éile is still used in
the name for the Devil’s Bit, Bearnán Éile or the
Irish name for Thurles, Durlas Éile. Ely O’Carroll probably
corresponds the extent of the Diocese of Ros Cré. Roscrea is
one of the oldest towns in Ireland, growing as settlement and market
place on the great highway, the Slí Dhála. Its fair
Aonach Éile, held annually on the Feast Day of Peter and Paul
on the 29th June, was one of the great fairs of Munster. It was attacked
by the Vikings of Limerick in 942 in what has become known as the
Battle of Roscrea. The foreigners were routed and their leader Omphile
slain. |
| Roscrea
Walking Heritage trail starts at Damer House where a copy of the accompanying
brochure is freely available. |
The brochure is in English, French
and German. The walking trail brings the visitor through the streets
of this historic town. From Damer House and Castle street there are
9 stops. Market Square is stop no 2. From there the trail goes down
Rosemary to the Franciscan Friary. Then by the Valley to the Glebe
Park and Ballyhall; then to Gaol road and St Cronan’s Monastery
at Church Street.
A more detailed booklet on the trail was first published in 1977 and
is available at Roscrea Public Library. |
| Anthony
Hamilton, author of the French classic 'the Memoirs of the Comte de
Grammont’ was reared in Roscrea Castle during the 1640s. |
Hamilton was born in 1645/6 at either
Roscrea or Nenagh castles where his father was Governor during that
time.
The Memoirs are about his brother-in-law, Philibert, the Count de
Grammont who had married his sister Elizabeth Hamilton. They tell
of the amorous affairs and intrigues at the court of Charles 11, 1642-44.
The book is written in French with brilliance and vivacity. It ranks
as a minor classic .. ‘that a foreigner should prove himself
more French than the French themselves is a unique phenomenon in the
history of literature’. |
| Roscrea
Whiskey |
Roscrea Whiskey was one of the more
popular Irish whiskeys in the early 19th century.
Distilled at Birches distillery at Birchgrove before Fr Mathew’s
Temperance Movement led to the closure of the distillery in 1850.
Turf from the bog was drawn to Birchgrove by donkey barges on a manmade
canal. References to Roscrea whiskey were quite common in early nineteenth
century Irish literature. Four bottles of Roscrea Whiskey survive
after being bought at a London auction by a Roscrea man. |
| The
first Irish parliament was probably held at Roscrea in 1213. |
| What is commonly regarded as the forerunner
of parliament as we know it occurred at Roscrea in 1213 when the King’s
Council and Army met here and decided to fortify the town with a motte
and bailey castle. The big difference was that the Council had then
to go and implement their decision themselves. |
| Roscrea
Bacon Factory was the first Farmers’ Industrial Co-operative
Society in these islands |
| Founded in 1907, Roscrea Bacon Factory
was indeed the first such industrial venture and attracted much attention
at the time. It quickly prospered. Its products, particularly the
sunburst hams won gold medals at the London Fairs. |
