Rosmuc

Rosmuc or Ros Muc (formerly anglicised as Rosmuck)[1] is a village in the heart of the Conamara Gaeltacht of County Galway, Ireland. It lies halfway between the town of Clifden and the city of Galway. Irish is the predominant spoken language. The District Electoral Division of Turlough, Rosmuc, state that Rosmuc is the most strongly Irish-speaking area in the country. The townland of Rosmuck is part of the civil parish of Kilcummin.[2]

Rosmuc

Ros Muc
Town
Camus Bay
Rosmuc
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°21′01″N 9°36′57″W
CountryIreland
ProvinceConnacht
CountyCounty Galway
Elevation
1 m (3 ft)
Time zoneUTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-1 (IST (WEST))
Irish Grid ReferenceL924345

History and etymology

It is estimated that people first settled in Rosmuc in AD 400, one hundred years before Naomh Briocán (Saint Briocán) brought Christianity to the area.

It is believed that the name 'Ros Muc' comes from the old Irish "the peninsula of rounded hills", ros meaning "promontory | headland" and muc meaning "rounded hills" or "pig" as in the rounded hills on the horizon surrounding the district look like the rounded backs of farm animals. The Irish word for peninsula is leithinis and seems to have a slightly different connotation than the meaning of ros.

Population

The population of Rosmuc is estimated to be around four hundred fifty people. For the past thirty years there has been a decline in the population, this is mainly due to emigration, although the tide of emigration has subsided in recent years due to the robust nature of the Irish economy.

Irish language

There are 557 people living in the Ros Muc ED and 87% are native Irish speakers. According to an analysis of the census a total of 91.9% of adults over nineteen years old said they spoke Irish on a daily basis.

The area has many literary figures, notably Irish revolutionary and education/language activist Patrick Pearse (Pádraig Mac Piarais) | (An Ṗiarsaċ) who had a summer residence there in the early 1900s (now a National Monument/Heritage Site open to the public), and who set many of his short stories in the area. Another writer was the prolific Pádraic Ó Conaire, who wrote 26 books, 473 stories, 237 essays and 6 plays partly set in the region, including M'asal Beag Dubh (My Little Black Donkey) and the novella Deoraíocht (Exile). The area is recognised as one of the strongest remaining Gaeltacht areas in South Connemara.

Pádraig Pearse, who was involved in the 1916 revolution in Dublin had a cottage in Rosmuc where he wrote many of his pieces. It was in Rosmuc that he wrote the oration given at the grave of Ó Donnabháin Rosa (O'Donovan Rossa) in 1915, which included the immortal words " ... but, the fools, the fools, the fools! — They have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace."

Rosmuc has had a long term relationship with Coláiste na bhFiann as it provides host accommodation for students learning Irish during the summer months.

Gaelic sports

An association football team is based in Rosmuc, called Cumann Sacar Naomh Briocain (affiliated with the FAI and playing in the Galway district league) Naomh Briocain also has players from neighbouring parishes, most notably Cill Chairain, Carna and Letir Mor. The youth teams up to minors are called "Carna Caiseal Na Piarsaigh". It has a mixture of players from Rosmuc, Camus,Kilkerrin and Carna. Their under 12s team won the double in 2015 and their league and reaching the final of the other one only to lose out to An Spidéal.

Rosmuc along with its neighbours Camus and An Sraith Salach have a GAA Football between them called Na Piarsaigh.

The village is the birthplace of a former president of the Gaelic League, Proinsias Mac Aonghusa.

Town Lands in Rosmuc

Gleann Chatha, An Gort Mór, Inbhear, Turlach, Ros Dubh, An Tamhnaigh Bhig, Snámh Bó, Cill Bhriocáin, An Aill Bhuí, An tOileán Mór, An Turlach Beag, Salalaoi, An Baile Thair, An Siléar, Inis Eilte, An Cladhnach, Cladach ó Dheas, Gairfean, Ros Cíde, Doire Iorrais

Town festival

The area has a traditional Sean-nós Irish dancing festival the first weekend following St. Brigid's Day (1 February), Rosmuc's traditional first day of spring.

Former residents
Pearse's Cottage

Rosmuc's most famous and historic landmark is Pearse's Cottage, which attracts up to ten thousand visitors each year. It was April 1903 when P.H. Pearse (Irish: Pádraig Mac Piarais) first came to Rosmuc as an examiner for Conradh na Gaeilge. Rosmuc and its people made an impression on him, and he decided to build a holiday home there. He bought a site from Jeanín Mhichíl Grealish - a spot with views of Loch Eiliúrach. Máirtín Labhráis Nee and Tom Labhráis Nee built a two-bed roomed-thatched cottage for him. Bartley Mannion did the carpentry work on the cottage.

Other former residents include:

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See also

References
  1. Placenames Database of Ireland
  2. Placenames Database of Ireland - townland of Rosmuck
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