Editing County Roscommon (section)

==History==
[[File:RiverSuck2781.jpg|220px|thumbnail|River Suck at [[Athleague]].]]
[[Rathcroghan]] ({{langx|ga|Rath Cruachán}}), near [[Tulsk]], a complex of archaeological sites, the home of [[Queen regnant|Queen]] [[Medb]] ({{langx|ga|Méadhbh}}, anglicised Maeve), was the seat of Kings of Connacht and then to the High Kings of Ireland.  This was the starting point of the ''[[Táin Bó Cúailnge]]'', or Cattle Raid of Cooley, an epic tale in [[Irish mythology]]. The county is home to prehistoric [[ringforts]] such as [[Carnagh West Ringfort]] and [[Drummin fort]].

County Roscommon as an administrative division has its roots in the Middle Ages. With the conquest and division of the [[Kingdom of Connacht]], those districts in the east retained by [[John, King of England|King John]] as "The King's [[Cantred]]s" covered County Roscommon, and parts of East [[County Galway|Galway]]. These districts were leased to the native kings of Connacht and eventually became the county. In 1585 during the Tudor re-establishment of counties under the [[Composition of Connacht]], Roscommon was established with the South-west boundary now alongside the [[River Suck]].

===Medieval art===
A "well defined" and "original" fine metal workshop was active in County Roscommon in the 12th century. The [[Cross of Cong]], [[Aghadoe Cathedral#Artifacts|the Aghadoe crosier]], Shrine of the [[Book of Dimma]] and [[Shrine of Manchan|Shrine of Manchan of Mohill]]' are grouped together as having been created by ''Mael Isu Bratain Ui Echach'' et al., at the same Roscommon workshop.{{sfn|Ó Floinn|1987|pp=179–187}}{{sfn|Hourihane|2012|pp=225}}{{sfn|Edwards|2013|pp=147}}{{sfn|Karkov|Ryan|Farrell|1997|pp=269}} The workshop has been linked to [[Assicus#Artisan|St. Assicus]] of Elphin.{{sfn|Kelly|1902|pp=291–292}}

===Ordnance Survey===
[[File:Roscommon Castle view.jpg|220px|thumb|Roscommon Castle]]
[[John O'Donovan (scholar)|John O'Donovan]] (1806–1861), historian and scholar, visited County Roscommon in 1837, while compiling information for the [[Ordnance Survey]]. Entering St Peter's parish in Athlone in June 1837, he wrote, "I have now entered upon a region totally different from Longford, and am very much pleased with the intelligence of the people." However, he had major problems with place-names. He later wrote, "I am sick to death's door of lochawns, and it pains me to the very soul to have to make these remarks, but what can I do when I cannot make the usual progress? Here I am stuck in the mud in the middle of Loughs, Turlaghs, Lahaghs and Curraghs, the names of many of which are only known to a few old men in their immediate neighbourhood and I cannot give many of them utterance from the manner in which they are spelled."<ref>{{cite thesis|last=Hunt |first=Roy |title=Painful progress: the slow evolution of County Roscommon society, 1850–1914 |publisher=[[National University of Ireland Galway]] |year=2010 |page=8}}</ref><ref>John O' Donovan, "Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the County of Roscommon, collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey, 1837". p. 5. Special collections section, National University of Ireland, Galway, 2009, reproduced by Rev. Michael O'Flanagan, Bray 1927.</ref>
[[File:River Shannon, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland - geograph.org.uk - 345361.jpg|220px|thumbnail|The [[River Shannon]] running through [[Athlone]] town.]]
[[File:Lough Key from Above 2010.jpg|220px|thumb|[[Lough Key]]]]