20 Attractions to Explore Near Castlerea Railway Museum

A heritage site and a powerful symbol of the medieval history of Ballintubber and surrounding areas. This large "keepless" fortress is often claimed to be the only surviving early medieval castle of an Irish ruler. It was built in the 1290s and has a roughly square plan, with enormous asymmetrical polygonal corner towers and a gateway in the eastern curtain, flanked by comparatively small projecting turrets.

Glinsk Castle is situated in the River Suck valley and was the principal residence of Lord of Clonconway, Mac David Burke and was built in the mid 17th century, on the site of an earlier castle. The main entrance way was on the first storey on the south side, between the two towers. The interior walls and floors have gone. One of the most impressive features remaining are the prominent chimney stacks in the end walls.

Rathcroghan Visitor Centre in the medieval village of Tulsk, County Roscommon is part of the archaeological landscape of Cruachan Aí, the oldest and largest unexcavated royal site in Ireland. Explore the history of the area and discover the origins of Halloween. Discover archaeological sites and protected national monuments in the Rathcroghan landscape.

Lough Gara is a small lake that lies to the south west of the Curlew Mountains in south Co. Sligo. While part of the lake reaches across the border into Co. Roscommon, it is mostly confined to Co. Sligo. The River Boyle, which flows through Co. Roscommon, has its source in Lough Gara. The lake lies south west of the Curlew Mountains with the town of Ballaghaderreen situated almost four miles to the southwest and the town of Boyle positioned just over four miles from its north eastern corner.

Donamon Castle is one of the oldest inhabited buildings in Ireland with the first recorded reference is in the Annals of the Four Masters for the year 1154. It was the seat of the Ó Fionnachta chief of Clann Chonnmhaigh, one of the two main branches of this Connacht family. In late 1932, an IRA unit, under the command of Seán McCool and Mick Price, took over Donamon Castle to set up an IRA training camp.

Elphin Windmill is a fully restored 18th-century tower mill in Elphin, County Roscommon, viewed as a rare piece of Irish industrial architectural heritage. It is a round, three stage structure with a thatched revolving roof of organic rye. The sails are positioned into the wind by means of a pole attached to a cartwheel which revolves on a circular grooved track on the ground. The mill provided corn meal for the local people, as well as milling flax.

Castlecoote House is an early Georgian Palladian mansion built on the grounds of a ruined 16th century castle overlooking the beautiful River Suck. This elegant family home combines 18th century architecture, fine plasterwork ceilings and marble period fireplaces with the ultimate in 21st century comfort. It was a strategic site, and may have been the base of the Chieftains of Fuerty, the MacGeraghty clan.

Annaghmore Lough is a freshwater lake in the west of Ireland. It is located in County Roscommon in the catchment of the upper River Shannon. Annaghmore Lough has an elevation of 64 metres. Annaghmore Lough is southwest of Owenur River. Annaghmore Lough is located about 5 km northwest of Strokestown. It lies at the centre of a group of small glacial lakes.

Drumanone is a large dolmen with 6-1/2 foot portal stones and a 6-1/2 foot doorstone. The capstone, which has slipped to cover the chamber, is almost 15 feet long and almost 10 feet wide. The sides of the chamber are each composed of a single stone. It has been estimated that the tomb was built prior to 2000 B.C.

Roscommon Castle is a National Monument in the guardianship of the State, located in the townland of Cloonbrackna. One of the most important royal castles in Ireland during the late 13th and early 14th centuries, it was built to a design similar to contemporary royal castles such as Harlech Castle in Wales. Roscommon Castle was commenced by the Crown in 1269 and was originally occupied by Robert de Ufford, Lord Justice of Ireland.

The Castlestrange Scribed Stone is one of the best examples of its kind in Europe and provides a fascinating look at Neolithic art. Only three other stones of this type have been found in Ireland, the Turoe Stone in County Galway, the Killycluggin Stone in County Cavan and the Derrykeighan Stone in County Antrim. All four stones lie on roughly the same line connecting them on a map of Ireland. The use of the stones is not known but it is assumed they served some religious or ritual purpose.

St. Mary’s Dominican Priory is located on the outskirts of the historical medieval town of Roscommon, which at its core includes the Anglo-Norman castle and house of Augustinian canons located on the site of the earlier monastery of St Commán. The church had a long north aisle, but only part of the arcade remains. There was a nave and chancel with a central tower and cloister. Nothing remains of the tower or the cloister.

A beautiful abbey that was founded over 750 years ago by Felim O'Conor, King of Connacht, who was buried there in 1265. It has many highlights, including an effigy of a king dressed in a long robe and mantle. It is thought to be O'Conor, who was buried on the grounds, or possibly one of his successors.

Visit Strokestown Park House, a beautifully restored 18th-century mansion in County Roscommon. This unique property gives you an authentic glimpse into the lives of generations of people who lived and worked here over the centuries, each adding their own chapter to the story and leaving their mark. The house is open to the public, as is the Famine Museum on the grounds.

Boyle Abbey, situated in the town of Boyle, County Roscommon, is a well preserved monastery that was founded in the 12th century. Today, only small parts of the cloister remain, as the Elizabethans converted it into barracks in 1592 and the Cromwellians besieged it in 1645. Despite its ruined state, the abbey continues to be an excellent example of Ireland’s early Cistercian foundations.It was the first Cistercian monastery to be successfully founded in the province of Connacht.

The Curlew Mountains are a range of low-lying hills situated between Boyle and Castlebaldwin in northeastern Connacht. Curlew Mountains has an elevation of 243 metres. Curlew Mountains is situated northeast of Cloonloo. Geologically, the Curlew Mountains are made of Devonian sandstone and conglomerate that is harder than the surrounding Carboniferous limestone, hence their appearance as an upland feature.

Knock Museum tells the story of the Knock Apparition at Knock, Co. Mayo in 1879. It describes how fifteen local Roman Catholic witnesses claimed to have seen the Lamb of God, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist at the south gable of the local parish church on 21 August, 1879. Visitors can read the testimony of pilgrims describing how they were miraculously cured and listen to the memories and stories of some of the one.

Knock Shrine, in County Mayo, is an international place of prayer and pilgrimage dating back to August 1879, when fifteen people from the village witnessed an apparition. It is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage site and national shrine in the village of Knock, County Mayo, Ireland, where locals claimed to have seen an apparition in 1879 of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saint John the Evangelist, angels, and Jesus Christ.

Slieve Bawn is a Hill in County Roscommon, Ireland. It lies between Strokestown and Ballyleague. It is the third-highest point in the county, after Kilronan Mountain and Seltannasaggart. Throughout the forest are looped walks, a trim trail for fitness, an equestrian trail, a raised viewing platform and a new picnic area. These amenities were developed as part of the Sliabh Bawn wind farm and represent a €500K investment by Sliabh Bawn Power a joint venture between Coillte and Bord na Mona.

This is a faormal beautiful monastery and National Monument located in Lough Key, Ireland. It is located on Church Island, an island of 2.1 ha in the western part of Lough Key.