archaeological & built heritage assessment - The Heritage Council

derelict state while the house associated with the mill (and indicated on the 6-inch OS map) has recently
been renovated.
Drumod
Drumod is a village in the parish of Annaduff, a short distance from Lough Bofin, which Lewis (1837) notes
originated with the establishment of iron ore smelting works, which were carried on successfully until the
supply of fuel failed in 1798. At this time, it contained twenty-nine houses and 162 inhabitants. There is a
chapel of ease, which was erected at the expense of F. Nesbitt c. 1815 who resided at Annaduff.
Derrycarne demesne is located on an area of land that extends into Lough Bofin, west of Dromod.
Delaney (2000) notes that this was an important fording place in the past and also accommodated eel
weirs. A battle took place here between the Williamite forces and Sarsfield’s army in the late seventeenth
century; and tradition has it that Sarsfield’s dead were buried in a communal grave, known as ‘James heap’
indicated by a cairn that exists there (Lewis 1837). The Nesbitt family who had associations with both
Dromod and Annaduff, built a house at Derrycarne but eventually the estate was bought by the state and
turned into a forest park; the site was demolished and the site turned into a car park (Delaney 2000).
The old harbour at Drumod was built by the Directors General of Inland Navigation in 1829 at a cost of
£139 (Delaney 2000). The house here was formerly a store and the outline of the doors can be seen in
the gable wall as well as the stone supports for the crane for lifting goods. The Board of Works lowered
the walls of the old harbour to accommodate modern cruisers and a new harbour has now been
constructed here to cater for the increasing traffic (ibid.). There are no buildings in Drumod listed for
protection in the county development plan to date.
Roosky
Roosky was originally established as a market and post town, situated on the river Shannon, over which is
a bridge connecting the counties of Leitrim and Longford with Roscommon. Lewis (1837) noted that it
participated in the general trade of the river, having also a market, fairs and a constabulary police force.
There is a diverse range of buildings and features in Roosky all of which contribute to its built heritage.
Mount Carmel Church is dominant in the streetscape at the west end of the village, while the bridge
which dates back to 1845 is a striking feature at the east end of the village. In between are many buildings,
commercial, recreational and residential which contribute to the village’s attractive streetscape (Roosky
Local Area Plan 2004-2009). These include the ‘Cloudland Ballroom’ which represents an era in Irish
social history as well as being a distinct building in the village. The Water Tower is another unusual
feature in the village, while the Garda Station along Main Street is part of an attractive terrace, which
retains its traditional sash windows. The former Mount Carmel Guesthouse adjacent to the bridge is a
period dwelling with many fine features such as its elevated chimney stack. A number of houses in the
village also retain their original features such as sash windows. There are no structures in Roosky included
on the Record of Protected Structures to date.
The early Shannon navigation passed down a canal and through a lock to the west of the river at Roosky.
This canal and lock were built in the 1760s and, unlike all the other early locks, this one was never rebuilt
or altered. The stonework is in surprisingly good repair and the only obvious difference in construction
was the use of smaller and more irregular sized stones (Delaney 2000). The early lockhouse, which was
sited along the canal nearer the village, was removed. The canal re-entered the river at the back of the
34