Roscrea

Roscrea (Ros Cré in Irish) is a small town in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, located near the midlands of Ireland (52°57′N 7°49′W). The placename comes from the Irish with Ros Cré meaning "wood of Cré", Cré being a female name of olden times. Historically Roscrea has been an important trading town.

The town is halfway between Limerick and Dublin on the N7 road and it takes less than two hours to drive from Roscrea to any of the cities Cork, Galway, Limerick or Dublin. Roscrea is connected to the Irish railway network on a branch from Limerick to Ballybrophy (where it joins the main Cork-Dublin line). At one time there was a branch from Roscrea to nearby Birr in County Offaly.

The main business in town is Glanbia which makes and distributes meats product all over the world. The town population is about 6000.

It is home to Monaincha Abbey which has been described in the 10th century publication The Annals Of The Four Masters as the 31st Wonder of The World. Two miles from the town is a Cistercian monastery, Mount St. Joseph Abbey, and well-known boarding school for boys, Cistercian College, Roscrea.

Roscrea town itself has many architectural features of note, including the Round Tower, Roscrea Castle and Damer House Complex, and the "Fancy Fountain." This latter feature was re-located from the old "Market Square" at the foot of Main Street to its present site in Rosemary Square, which is home to a number of Roscrea's longest-established retail businesses, eg Rosemary Pharmacy, Roscrea Motor Factors, Mr Brogue Locksmith, The Abbey Bar, Doherty Bros, Oliver Douglas & Sons, and Roscrea Bookshop & Newsagents.

Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, is nestled not far from the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains. It is positioned where in ancient times, the five main routes in Ireland, or the Slighe Dhála, converged. A picturesque town with a wide main street, it has many buildings of historical note.

Roscrea grew around its ancient monastery. The Round Tower, on Church Street, has a doorway 15 feet from the ground and is the oldest surviving part of the ancient monastery. The usual conical cap is missing as it was destroyed by cannon fire in 1798. The 8th century Book of Dimma, which belonged to Roscrea monastery, is preserved in Trinity College, Dublin. It contains a copy of the Gospels and a Miissa Infirorum, and is enclosed in a shrine of bronze with silver plates ornamented with Celtic interlacing.

The Church of Ireland Parish Church is dedicated to St. Cronan and stands on the site of the ancient monastery, whose doorway forms the entrance to the grounds. There is a crude representation of the crucifixion on a monumental stone in the churchyard, which is known as the Shrine of St. Cronan and there is also a 12th century sculptured cross.

The Catholic Church is built on the site of the old Franciscan Friary, which was founded by the O'Carroll, Chieftain of the district, in 1490. Some portion of the walls of the old Friary has been retained in the modern church building. The altar portrays the crucifixion. Roscrea was the seat of a bishopric until the 12th century, when it was joined to Killaloe. Mona Incha Priory, to the east of the town, displays 12th century Romanesque features, especially the rich chancel arch.

King John is credited with having erected a Castle at Roscrea, of which a circular tower and some sections of wall are still in existence. The later rectangular keep, known as Ormonde Castle is still standing. To the south east of Roscrea, near the Laois border, are the Timoney Hills, where an area of over 100 acres contains more than 300 standing stones. Two miles south west is the ruined Ballinakilt Castle, built by Piers Butler of Paulstown in 1580.

Roscrea has a population of 4,170 and it is located in the south midlands, 44 miles from Limerick City and 76 miles from Dublin City. Its main industries include meat processing and pharmaceuticals.

There is a strong G.A.A. and rugby following in the town. [Roscrea Rugby Club http://www.roscrearfc.com] is twinned with Holybush in Wales for over 50 yearsThere are also a couple of football teams in the town — Killavilla F.C.,Streamstown Celtic F.C. and Roscrea Town being the biggest names.