Roscam

Roscam

Ros Cam
Location within County Galway
Monastery information
Other names	Ros-chaim; Ros-camm
Established	5th century AD
Diocese	Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora
Architecture
Status	ruined
Style	Celtic
Site
Location	Roscam, Galway
Coordinates	53°15′52″N8°59′06″W / 53.264423°N 8.984974°W / 53.264423; -8.984974
Visible remains	Church, bullauns and round tower
Public access	yes
National monument of Ireland
Official name	Roscam
Reference no.	46

Roscam is a medieval ecclesiastical site and National Monument located in Galway, Ireland. ^{[1] [2]}

Location

Roscam is located 4 km (2.5 mi) east of the Galway city centre, immediately north of Oranmore Bay. ^[3] It is just to the south of the Galway neighbourhood of Roscam, which takes its name from the site.

History

Roscam stands on the site of a very early (5th century) monastery, with legend linking it to Saint Patrick. ^[4] It was also associated with Odran, a brother of Ciarán of Clonmacnoise (6th century). The 6th-century Saint Aedus (Aidus) transferred the bones of Brión mac Echach Muigmedóin to Roscam. ^[5] It was attacked by Vikings in AD 807. ^[6]

The round tower is dated to the 11th century and appears to have never been completed. ^[7] The ruined tower once marked the limit of O'Halloran (Ó hAllmhuráin, Clann Fhearghaile) territory. ^{[8] [9]}

The church was built in the 15th century.^{[ citation needed ]}

Roscam is said to have been used as a duelling site in the medieval era; at the time, it was well outside of what was then the city of Galway and was easily accessible by boat. ^[10]

Ruins and monuments

The tower

There is a limestone round tower (11 m (36 ft) tall), ^{[11] [12]} bullauns and a church 22 m (72 ft) in length. The whole site is surrounded by a large enclosure. ^[13]

References

1. Spellissy, Sean (1 January 1999). The history of Galway. Celtic Bookshop. ISBN   9780953468331 – via Google Books.
2. O'Keeffe, Tadhg (26 March 2018). Ireland's Round Towers: Buildings, Rituals and Landscapes of the Early Irish Church. Tempus. ISBN   9780752425719 – via Google Books.
3. "Roscam Abbey Church, County Galway, Ireland". placesmap.net.
4. "Roscam graveyard, Roscam, Galway, Ireland - The on-line graves and graveyards finder". historicgraves.com.
5. Byrne, Vincent (1 September 2003). The Hidden Annals: A Thousand Years of the Kingdom of Connaught 366-1385. Universal-Publishers. ISBN   9781581125689 – via Google Books.
6. Sawyer, Peter (2001). The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings. ISBN   9780192854346.
7. Hourihane, Colum (26 March 2018). From Ireland Coming: Irish Art from the Early Christian to the Late Gothic Period and Its European Context. Princeton University Press. ISBN   9780691088259 – via Google Books.
8. O'Laughlin, Michael C. (26 March 1998). The Families of County Galway, Ireland: Over One Thousand Entries from the Archives of the Irish Genealogical Foundation. Irish Roots Cafe. ISBN   9780940134003 – via Google Books.
9. O'Dowd, Peadar (5 October 2004). A History of County Galway: A comprehensive study of Galway's history, culture and people. Gill & Macmillan Ltd. ISBN   9780717165438 – via Google Books.
10. "Roscam Round Tower and Chuch[sic], Co. Galway". 10 May 2015.
11. Lalor, Brian (26 March 1999). The Irish Round Tower: Origins and Architecture Explored. Collins Press. ISBN   9781898256649 – via Google Books.
12. "Roscam Round Tower, Galway".
13. "Roscam Church, Galway".