Boyle, County Roscommon

Boyle () is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located at the foot of the Curlew Mountains near Lough Key in the north of the county. Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, the Drumanone Dolmen and the popular fishing lakes of Lough Arrow and Lough Gara are also close by. The population of the town was 3000 in 2010.

History

On 15 August 1599, the Battle of Curlew Pass between English and Irish forces was fought in the Curlew mountains during the Nine Years' War, between an English force under Sir Conyers Clifford and a rebel Irish force led by Hugh Roe Ó Donnell. The English were ambushed and routed while marching through a pass in the Curlew Mountains, The English forces suffered heavy casualties. Losses by allied Irish forces were not recorded but were probably minimal. The Queen's principal secretary, Sir Robert Cecil, rated this defeat (and the simultaneous defeat of Harrington in Wicklow) as the two heaviest blows ever suffered by the English in Ireland.

King House

Roscommon County Council, recognising the historical, architectural and cultural importance of King House, began the restoration project in 1989. Using skilled artisans and local craftsmen employing traditional techniques and materials, all three floors and the basement have been restored. Of particular note are the main entrance gallery with its tripate windows and original fireplace, the extensive vaulted ceilings on all floors and the main salon which is in use once again as a venue for recitals and...
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