Greetings from Roscommon

Greetings from Roscommon

Depicted on this postcard is a colour photo montage of Roscommon landmarks. The "stamp" in the top right is of Clonalis House, Castlerea, whilst the one on the bottom right is Strokestown House, seat of the Pakenham Mahons. The Roscommon town Norman Castle is placed in the middle centre, beside the Roscommon town Courthouse, on the bottom left. The larger stamp in the top left, is the tower and ruins at Clonmacnoise. This card was posted from Castlerea to Dublin in 1992.

Roscommon County Library

Greetings from Roscommon
Roscommon County Library

Greetings from Roscommon

Depicted on this postcard is a colour photo montage of Roscommon landmarks. The "stamp" in the top right is of Clonalis House, Castlerea, whilst the one on the bottom right is Strokestown House, seat of the Pakenham Mahons. The Roscommon town Norman Castle is placed in the middle centre, beside the Roscommon town Courthouse, on the bottom left. The larger stamp in the top left, is the tower and ruins at Clonmacnoise. This card was posted from Castlerea to Dublin in 1992.

Roscommon County Library

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Roscommon County Library Postcard Collection

The postcard collection of Roscommon County Library, part of which features in this presentation, is only a snippet from the large photographic archive garnered by successive librarians, over the seventy five years existence of the library service in Roscommon.

Fortuitously for the Irish nation, William Lawrence and John Valentine Dublin, along with some British and Scottish publishers developed a keen interest in the newest art form to sweep the country in the late 1800's - photography.

Photographers were dispatched the length and breadth of Ireland to capture on glass plate negatives, the visual records of towns and villages. The early decades of the nineteenth century saw an improvement in communications by river, road and rail. This had a consequential effect in the rise of trade and the middle classes.

Roscommon Town

Posted in 1999, this colour photo postcard, comprises a superimposed collage of the Harrison Hall/Bank of Ireland with the Hayden Monument in the top left, the facade of the Old Jail in the centre left, and Main Street, on the bottom left corner. The imposing Gothic style Sacred Heart Church, with sunken grotto is in the centre photo, whilst the Dominican Abbey and the Norman castle feature on the right.

Roscommon Town

Roscommon Town

Posted in 1999, this colour photo postcard, comprises a superimposed collage of the Harrison Hall/Bank of Ireland with the Hayden Monument in the top left, the facade of the Old Jail in the centre left, and Main Street, on the bottom left corner. The imposing Gothic style Sacred Heart Church, with sunken grotto is in the centre photo, whilst the Dominican Abbey and the Norman castle feature on the right.

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The focus for these wandering photographers in County Roscommon was of course the larger towns with their built heritage. Archaeological and historical buildings, the big house, bridges, street scenes, churches and railways were the popular choices to commit to photographic memory, and history eventually. Roscommon Library invites you to browse at your leisure, from this treasure trove!