Last modified: 2009-05-18 by rob raeside
Keywords: roscommon | crown | ram's head | oak |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
See also:
Roscommon County (58,700 inhabitants in 2006; 2,547 sq. km; seat, Roscommon)
is located in Connacht, central Ireland. The name of the town and county means
St. Coman's forest.
The colours of Roscommon County are blue and yellow.
Roscommon County has a flag, vertically divided blue-yellow, with in the yellow
stripe the arms of the county surmounted by its Irish name, Roscomáin. The flag
is shown on a photograph taken during a Tucson-Roscommon Sister Cities event at
the Dance Kelly Style
website.
The arms of the county are described by Laurence Jones on
the International
Civic Heraldry website, as follows:
"The name of the county itself is
first recalled by the green area in the upper part of the shield, representing
the ROS of ROS COMAIN. On the green area is placed a cross, as a recollection in
general of Saint Coman, and the Abbeys of Roscommon and in particular of the
association of the cross of Cong with the County. The antique crown below
recalls Rathcroghan, where, according to Mac Firbis, "most of the kings of the
race of Hereman were buried". The ram's head represents the County's importance
as a centre of sheep-rearing. To bring the story of Roscommon down to the
present day, that fact that Dr. Douglas Hyde, first President of Ireland, was
born in the County is recalled by the introduction of an oak-branch in memory of
"An Craobhin Aoibhinn". The motto "Constans Hiberniae Cor" not only suggests the
physical location of the County but also sums up happily the enduring character
of themes represented in the design."
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2008