ROSCOMMON, a county of Ireland, bounded by Lettrim on the north, and Galway on the south.
Encyclopædia Britannica 1771
Roscommon, a county of Ireland, province of Connaught, bounded E by Longford and Westmeath, S
by Galway, W by Mayo, N by Sligo, and NE by Leitrim, 50 English m. long, and 37 broad. It is a flat
open coutry, in some places sprinkled with rocks, in many interrupted by extensive bogs, and but
little diversified by hills. The Shannon divides it from Longford and Westmeath, and the Suck from
Galway. It has excellent pastures. Pop. 207,777.
The New London Gazetteer, 1826
'Roscommon' derives from 'Ros' (well-forested gentle terrain) and the name of St. Conman, Roscommon's first bishop.
It is the birthplace of Douglas Hyde, first President of Ireland.
Roscommon County in the lower peninsula of Michigan is named after Co. Roscommon.
In response to a query from
caseyhb, my source for the name
Conman is
http://www.dragnet-systems.ie/regional/connaught/county_roscommon/coroscommon_main.htm but the name is
also frequently given as
Coman.