Steeped in History, Roscommon is a county of castles, ancient kings and spectacular landscapes making it a great place to explore with all the family. Perfectly situated in the centre of Ireland, Roscommon is a great location for those who want to be near everything while paying less.
26
Minutes is the average commute
€156
Average full-time weekly childcare fees
€193k
Average house price €193,445
65k
Population of Roscommon
Fun fact: Boyle was the location the hit Sky Originals comedy ‘Moone Boy’.
Roscommon and Hollywood? Sure, why not! Take a step back and you’ll see this unassuming county has had its fair share of the limelight in recent years and even created a genuine A-list export in the shape of actor Chris O’Dowd.
Nicknamed the Land of Memories, Roscommon was the focal point for ‘Moone Boy’ the hit Sky comedy, written by and starring O’Dowd, as he took a walk down the memory lane of life in 1990s Ireland.
O’Dowd is often spotted during short breaks at home and he is something of a tireless champion for Roscommon and the West of Ireland.
On a more serious historical note, Roscommon is also home to archaeological sites that date back to more than 4,500BC, as well as beautiful stately homes and mythical sites. In Rathcroghan, just outside Tulsk in County Roscommon, you’ll find the Cave of the Cats which is thought to be the entrance to the Otherworld and home to the Fairies.
Steeped in History, Roscommon is a county of castles, ancient kings and spectacular landscapes making it a great place to explore with all the family. But that’s not all the county has to offer.
The Arigna Mining Experience is another place that lets you step back in time and see what coal mining was like from the 1700’s until it’s closure in 1990.
For those looking to enjoy something more adventurous, water sports are a great way to use your extra time and energy. Leisurely boat rides, canoeing and kayaking are all available at a variety of locations throughout the county. While, Baysports Water Sports Centre (just over the border in Athlone) has almost an acre of interlinking walk ways, slides, towers and obstacles as well as the world’s tallest floating slide according to Guinness World Records.
For a leisurely stroll, Lough Key Forest Park has beautiful forest trails as well as more vigorous activities such as zip-lining, woodland Segway, safari and Boda Borg.
Perfectly situated in the centre of Ireland, Roscommon is a great location for those who want to be near everything while paying less. Just 30 minutes to Athlone and Sligo and 90 minutes to Galway and Dublin airport, living in Roscommon makes getting around easy.
But with a population of 64,544 and many major towns – Roscommon town, Boyle, Frenchpark, Roscommon, Castlerea, Strokestown and Ballaghaderreen – you’ll find you won’t want to leave Roscommon very often.
With traditional craft and heritage, sports and agriculture, as well as cultural festivals like Boyle Arts Festival, Roscommon has it all!
Now, let’s take a look at the key Roscommon stats:
Roscommon has many jobs available in the traditional areas of tourism, agriculture, craft and heritage, as well as newer areas such as pharma and tech. Many international companies have set their base in Roscommon, including Alkermes Plc., Innocoll Technologies, Athlone Laboratories, Harmac Medical, Nordson Medical and Color Communications Europe Ltd. To see what jobs are available to suit your skills check out WesternJobs.ie.
According to the latest Daft Property Report for Q1, 2023 – Roscommon offers great value for money. The average house price for Roscommon was listed at €193,445, which is more than €115,000 cheaper than the national average of €308,497. According to Daft’s Rental Price Report Q1, 2023, renting in Roscommon is also reasonable at €1,139 per month compared to the national average, which is €1,750 per month.
The average cost of fulltime childcare per week in Roscommon (€156) is almost €100 less than that of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown (€246). Over the space of a month, that’s a saving of almost €400! These figures are based on data collected by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in November 2019. When looking for childcare in the area you can check out roscommonchildcare.ie and tusla.ie for a variety of great resources.
Roscommon has a mythical history, but there’s more to it than warriors and epic tales. It’s an adventure playground for outdoor enthusiasts looking to explore its hills, valleys and waterways. Roscommon’s natural charms pair perfectly with its unique attractions. Enjoy plenty of outdoor activities from Lough Key Forest and Activity Park and Boyle Abbey to one of the great coffee shops.
The average commute time in Roscommon, according to Census figures released in 2017, is just 26 minutes. That’s almost 10 minutes shorter than the 35 minutes it takes commuters in Meath and Wicklow. Within a month you’ll have saved yourself two hours in commuting time. Having a car would be considered essential as public transport links are limited.
With Sligo, Galway and Athlone all short drives from Roscommon you’ll find plenty of options for third level education within the area. Roscommon also has a great mix of primary and second-level schools available and you’ll find much shorter enrolment waiting lists (sometimes no lists at all) than those in larger cities.