Roosky

History

In pre-Christian times, Roosky was a major gateway to Connacht. It's importance was considerable as it was where the three Kingdoms of Breifne, Mide and Connacht met. Roosky owes its origins to St. Barry and his 6th-century monastic settlement once located 5km to the south of Roosky village. There were originally seven churches at Kilbarry but little remains now. The original navigation through Roosky was through a lock on a canal to the west of the River Shannon, built in 1759. Alongside the canal was a corn mill, of which there is minimal trace of today. The 1840's saw the Commissioners for the Improvement of the Navigation of the River Shannon reshape the village. The current masonry road bridge was finished in 1845. The nearby locks and lock keepers house was also built under the extensive civil engineering scheme. Roosky was a lively market village in the mid-20th Century. The bridge was the scene of conflict during the Irish Civil War in 1922 and was also an important focal point for the National Farmers Association strike in 1967. The portion of the village in County Leitrim was formerly known as Georgia or Gorteenoran () and constituted 5 houses and three licensed premises in 1925. This name is not in use today.