Roscommon Lakes
View of the River Shannon at Night
Courtesy of Roscommon County Council.
Courtesy of Roscommon County Council.
One of the main attractions of Roscommon is its scenic lakes, dotted with wooded islands. The Shannon is more than a river. Over its course, it winds through many of Ireland's finest lakes. A number of these lakes are partly situated on the eastern boundary of Co. Roscommon.
The main lakes on the Shannon touching Roscommon are Lough Allen, Lough Boderg, Lough Bofin, Lough Forbes, Lough Key and Lough Ree. Lough Meelagh and Lough Skean are in the north, with Lough Skean on the boundary with Sligo.
Let's learn a little bit more about some of the more significant of Roscommon's lakes on the River Shannon.
Shannon Cruiser
Cruising on the Shannon is a very popular activity. There are many companies offering cruisers for hire. Holiday-makers generally navigate a portion of the river, stopping off in towns and villages along the way.
Courtesy of Roscommon County Council.Shannon Cruiser
Courtesy of Roscommon County Council.
Courtesy of Roscommon County Council.
Shannon Cruiser
Cruising on the Shannon is a very popular activity. There are many companies offering cruisers for hire. Holiday-makers generally navigate a portion of the river, stopping off in towns and villages along the way.
Courtesy of Roscommon County Council.Lough Allen
Lough Allen is the first in the chain of lakes into which the River Shannon expands. A portion of the lake's shoreline is located in Co. Roscommon. A large portion of Lough Allen also belongs to neighbouring Co. Leitrim. It is surrounded by hills and is very picturesque.
An interesting feature of the area surrounding Lough Allen are the remains of sweathouses. Many cultures around the world have a tradition of using sweathouses, though the structures and uses differ in between different countries.
Sweathouse near Lough Allen
Courtesy of Leitrim County Library.
Courtesy of Leitrim County Library.
Sweathouses are small, beehive-shaped buildings that worked like saunas. They were used in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and it is believed they were a treatment for conditions like rheumatism and arthritis. The highest concentration of these structures in Ireland can be found around Lough Allen.
The small buildings were heated first with a turf fire, which was then raked out. The floor was covered with rushes or straw. The afflicted person would crouch inside and the door would be blocked by wood or pieces of turf. The heat inside the building was thought to relieve the patient's symptoms.