Divisions and Towns.—The county is mainly in the diocese of El phiu, with small portions in the dioceses of Ardagh, Tuam, and Clonfert, and contains 58 parishes. It is divided into 9 baronies—Athlone, Bailin tober (north and south), Ballymoe, Boyle, Frenchpark, Moycarn, and Roscommon. The principal towns are—Roscommox, BOYLE, part of BALLINASLOE, part of ATHLONE, CASTLEREA, ELPHIN, and STROKESTOWN, which are noticed under their respective titles. The following are some of the smaller towns and more important villages, with the population of each in 1851 :— Frenchpark is a small market-town, situated on the Strokestowu and Ballina road, about 21 miles N.N.W. from Roscommon. It consists of two straggling streets intersecting each other, and con tains a few substantial houses. It has a Roman Catholic chapel, a court-house, a new market-house, and a school, partially endowed. A manor court is held in the town. Fairs are held on May 21st, July 12th, and September 21st. Thursday is the market-day.
Readue, population 206, a post-town, in the barony of Boyle, is situated on the road from Leitrim to Sligo, 35 miles N. from Roscom mon. It contains a Roman Catholic chapel, a eourt-house, a new market-house, a dispensary, one or two endowed schools, and the ruins of the ancient parish church, in the burial-ground of which Carolan, the last of the Iriah bards, who died in 1733, was interred. There is a weekly market, and fairs are held eight times a year.
Athleague, population 331, a village 5 miles S. by IV. from Roscom mon, on the river Suck, where it is divided into several channels, crossed obliquely by a chain of low bridges, with a connecting cause way. The place consists of a long street running from the end of the causeway along the right bank of the river, with another risiug at right angles to it up the elevated bank. There are a few neat houses in the outskirts, but the village has not many buildings better than cabins. It contains a decayed parish church, a Roman Catholic chapel, a dis pensary, a constabulary barrack, and some large flour-mills and malt houses, which have gone out of use. Fairs are held on July 11th and September 24th. Knockcroghery, population 2S2, is pleasantly situated on a rising ground, 5 miles S.E. from Roscommon by the Athlone road, and consists of a single street of well-kept cabins, with a few better buildings. It contains the parish church, which has school-houses connected with it. A number of the inhabitants are employed in the manufacture of tobacco-pipes, for which there are eight kilns in the village. Fairs are held on May 26th, August 21st, and October 25th,
the last being a great sheep fair. Loughglynn, population 265, is situated on the south shore of Lough Glynn, and on the Castlerea and Foxford road, 22 miles N.W. from Roscommon. It contains some good houses, a Roman Catholic chapel, and a dispensary. Fairs are held four times a year. Mount Talbot, a neat village on the Suck River, 7 miles S.S.W. from Roscommon, has a parish church and a Roman Catholic chapel. The river is here crossed by a bridge of 12 arches. Talbot House, the seat of the Talbot family, is a find old castellated mansion adjacent to the village. Fairs aro held four times a year. Rusky, or Roosky, population 246, a village situated ou the Shannon, and ou the Dubliu and Sligo road, 22 miles N.E. by N. from Roscommon, is partly on the Leitrim side, but chiefly on the Ros common side of the river, which is crossed by a bridge of 9 arches. A rapid in the river is here passed by a canal a quarter of a mile in length. Petty sessions are held monthly. Tulsk, population returned with that of the parish, was formerly an incorporated town returning two members to the Irish Parliament, but now consists of a few cottages, a school-house, and a constabulary barrack. It contains the ruins of a castle built by O'Conor Roe in 1406, and the church walls, two pointed arches, and other remains of an abbey supposed to have been founded in the same century.
Tito county returns two members to the Imperial Parliament. The county jail is at Roscommon, where the assizea are held. Quarter sessions are held at Roseommou, Athlone, Boyle, Castlerea, and Strokestown. Petty sessions are held in 19 places. The county infirmary is at Roscommon. The district lunatic asylum for Con naught, to which the county is entitled to send 40 patients, is at Ballinasloo There are dispensaries in 16 places. A savings bank is established at Boyle. In September 1842 there were 102 National schools in the county, attended by 6229 male and 5883 female 1 children.
1 history and Antiquities.—The Autcri, a people mentioned by mem, first appear in history as the possessors of this part of Ireland. At a later period it was occupied by various septs, of which tho principal were the two branches of the O'Conora—the O'Conors Roe or Ruadh (red), and the O'Conors Don or Dhunno (brown), the Macdermots, the O'Dalys, and the O'Kellya.