Roscommon

County Roscommon of the province of Connacht in western Ireland lies in the valley of the Shannon and Suck rivers, measuring 951 square miles in area. Three-quarter of the land is pasture and crop land, while one-quarter is peat bog. The treaty the Composition of Connacht in1585 granted control of the area to its Irish lords and chieftains under English law, and thus Roscommon has retained Irish social patterns longer than other counties. It is a major producer of cattle and sheep, and potatoes, oats and hay are the main crops. The 2003 estimated population was 54,100.