6,555 peopleTrain: Westport line
Roscommon town
The county town, with the council offices, Roscommon University Hospital, three secondary schools and most of the shops. The Square and Main Street were redone in 2024.
Area guide · Co. Roscommon
Living in Roscommon
Roscommon town, plus Boyle, Castlerea, Strokestown and the villages in between. What it’s like to live here, how you get to work, and what houses cost.
70,259People in the county (Census 2022)
€225kMedian asking price, mid-2026
3Train stations: Roscommon, Castlerea, Boyle
93.5%Of the National Broadband Plan rollout done
01Overview
Good value, plenty of space, and better connected than people think
Roscommon is one of the few counties where a family home with a garden still costs well under the national average. The CSO put the county median at about €220,000 earlier this year. Nationally it’s €400,000.
Roscommon town is the hub. It has the county council, the hospital, three secondary schools and a station on the Westport line. Most of our buyers want to be within 15 minutes of town, or within easy reach of Athlone for work.
The north of the county is quieter and cheaper again. Boyle has the Sligo train and Lough Key, Castlerea has the Westport train, and the new N5 is cutting journey times through Strokestown and Frenchpark.
02In pictures
Castles, abbeys and lakes
A few of the places on your doorstep. Swipe or use the arrows.
03Towns
Where people buy
The main towns in the county. Populations are from Census 2022.
2,915 peopleTrain: Sligo line
Boyle
Bigger than people expect, with the abbey, King House and Lough Key on the edge of town. Handy if you work in Sligo or Carrick-on-Shannon.
2,348 peopleTrain: Westport line
Castlerea
On the CSO’s figures, Eircode F45 (Castlerea area) had the lowest median price in Ireland in the year to August 2026: €160,000.
2,387 peopleN5
Ballaghaderreen
On the Mayo border, with St Nathy’s College and the N5 to Dublin and Westport. Castlerea and Boyle stations are both close by.
850 peopleNew N5 bypass
Strokestown
A small town with Strokestown Park at the end of the main street. An €8m upgrade of Bawn Street and Church Street went to contract in 2025.
KnockcrogheryAthleagueFour Mile House
Villages near Roscommon town
Knockcroghery, Kilteevan, Ballinaheglish, Athleague and Four Mile House are all close to town. Knockcroghery is handy for Athlone and Lough Ree.
04Getting around
How long it actually takes
Typical times from Roscommon town. Allow longer at rush hour.
| To | By car | By train |
|---|---|---|
| Athlone | About 30 min (N61) | About 27 min |
| Dublin city | About 2 hrs | About 2 hrs to Heuston, 4–6 a day |
| Dublin Airport | About 2 hrs | – |
| Galway | About 1 hr 10 (N63) | Change at Athlone |
| Sligo | About 1 hr 15 | From Boyle, on the Sligo line |
| Knock Airport | About 1 hr | – |
Roscommon station has 25 free parking spaces and Castlerea has 34. Check irishrail.ie for current times. Local Link buses connect the villages to town.
05Schools
Schools around Roscommon town
The main schools within easy reach of Roscommon town. The other towns have their own primary and secondary schools.
Primary schools in town
- St Comán’s Wood Primary School
- Gaelscoil de hÍde
Primary schools nearby
- St Mary’s NS, Knockcroghery
- Kilteevan NS
- Scoil Bhríde, Four Mile House
- Ballinaheglish NS
- Fuerty NS
Secondary schools
- Roscommon Community College
- CBS RoscommonCo-educational since 2025
- Mercy College RoscommonCo-educational since 2025
- Elsewhere in the county: Abbey Community College (Boyle), Castlerea Community School, St Nathy’s College (Ballaghaderreen), Elphin Community College
Several secondary schools, including CBS, Mercy College and Roscommon Community College, have extensions at early planning stage. For third level, TUS Athlone is about 30 minutes away.
06Infrastructure
What’s been built, and what’s coming
The projects that make a real difference to day-to-day life in the county.
Done
N5: Frenchpark bypass
The first 7 km of the new N5 Ballaghaderreen–Scramoge road opened in March 2026, 19 months ahead of schedule.
Under way
N5: the rest of the new road
33 km in total, bypassing Frenchpark, Bellanagare, Tulsk and Strokestown. TII expects the €450m scheme to be finished in 2027.
Under way
Fibre broadband
The National Broadband Plan was 93.5% complete in Co. Roscommon by July 2026, with about 18,200 premises able to connect.
Done
Roscommon town drainage
A €20m Uisce Éireann scheme with more than 7 km of new sewers and new and upgraded pumping stations.
Done
The Square and Main Street
Redesigned with government regeneration funding and reopened in 2024, with a covered civic space. A second phase (Henry St, Church St, Goff St and a link to Loughnaneane Park) is planned.
Under way
Strokestown town centre
An €8m upgrade of Bawn Street and Church Street, linking the town to Strokestown Park. Contract signed September 2025.
Planned
€20m iRos sports campus
Approved in June 2026: a new sports hall, gym, pitches and play park at Roscommon Leisure Centre.
Planned
Roscommon University Hospital
The HSE is designing a new rehabilitation unit as part of a development plan for the hospital.
07Everyday life
What’s on your doorstep
Healthcare
Roscommon University Hospital in town has an Injury Unit (8am–8pm daily, age 5 and up), a Medical Assessment Unit on GP referral, day surgery, outpatients and diagnostics. Portiuncula University Hospital in Ballinasloe provides emergency care.
Parks and walks
Loughnaneane Park is 14 acres in the middle of town, Mote Park woodland is just outside it, and Lough Key Forest Park is about 45 minutes north.
Sport
Roscommon Golf Club, Roscommon Racecourse, Dr Hyde Park for county GAA, and Roscommon Leisure Centre, which is due to be expanded.
On the water
Lough Ree is around 20 minutes from town, with swimming and boating at Lecarrow and Hodson Bay.
Days out
Strokestown Park and the Famine Museum, Rathcroghan, Clonalis House, Boyle Abbey and King House are all in the county.
Getting away
Ireland West Airport Knock is about an hour away. It had its busiest August ever in 2026, with 17 Ryanair routes this summer.
08House prices
What houses cost
Each source measures something different, so here are three of them.
€220,000Median price paid, Co. RoscommonCSO, released May 2026
€225,000Median asking priceMyHome.ie, July 2026, up 12.5%
€248,000Average 3-bed semiDaft.ie, Q2 2026, up 7.8%
For comparison, the national median price paid was €400,000 in the year to August 2026 (CSO). Within the county, Eircode F45 (Castlerea area) had the lowest median in Ireland at €160,000.
A semi in town and a farmhouse with land are very different markets, so treat these figures as a starting point. For a proper figure on your own home, book a free valuation.
09FAQ
Questions we get asked
About two hours to Dublin Heuston, with direct trains on the Westport line throughout the day.
Roscommon and Castlerea, on the Dublin Heuston–Westport line, and Boyle, on the Dublin Connolly–Sligo line.
On the CSO’s latest figures, Eircode F45 (Castlerea and the surrounding area) had the lowest median price in Ireland in the year to August 2026, at €160,000.
In most of the county. The National Broadband Plan was 93.5% complete in Co. Roscommon in July 2026. You can check an Eircode on the National Broadband Ireland website.
Plenty. Roscommon Castle and Loughnaneane Park in town, Lough Key Forest Park near Boyle, Strokestown Park and the National Famine Museum, Rathcroghan, Clonalis House, Lough Ree, the racecourse and the golf club.
Sources: CSO Census 2022 and Residential Property Price Index (August 2026); MyHome.ie and Daft.ie reports via Shannonside (2026); Transport Infrastructure Ireland (March 2026); Irish Rail; Saolta/HSE; Uisce Éireann; Roscommon County Council; Discover Ireland. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each image. Checked October 2026.
Buying or selling in Roscommon?
Call into the office on Church Street, ring us, or book a free valuation online.
Church Street, Roscommon · 090 662 7878