‘Know your Locality – Roscommon’ FREE online course – February/March 2026

Know Your Locality - Roscommon!

Roscommon County Council Heritage Office is delighted to work with the Irish Archaeology Field School, to offer a FREE hybrid (online plus one in person field trip) course that will take you step-by-step through the available online sources that will allow you to paint a picture of the geological, archaeological, and historical events that happened close to where you live. You will need access to the internet and a device (preferably a laptop or PC). While the course will look at examples from throughout Ireland, it will focus on the geology, archaeology and history of the county of Roscommon. As such the course is aimed toward residents of Roscommon (who will be given preference for available course places) as well as enthusiasts of Roscommon’s natural and cultural heritage.

Course dates & times: Online on Thursdays @ 6.45pm - 8.15pm: 12th, 19 & 26th February, 5th, 12th & 19th March. Field Trip: Sunday 22nd February (Late morning; time and venue TBC).

For further details and to book, please visit: https://buytickets.at/theirishheritageschool/2045179

Places are limited so don’t delay!

Funded by @The Heritage Council as an action of Roscommon Heritage Strategy.

We will begin by looking at the very bedrock under your feet, examining the geological processes and glacial events that shaped the landscape and formed the soils. The course then focuses on the impacts of humans on that landscape over time, from pre-history to the last century.

The first workshop will include a summary of the course content and format. Before the course starts participants will be sent a list of resources/links so that they can study their own locality. Each workshop will teach an aspect of Irish geology, archaeology and history, and go through a series of fabulous online resources, allowing participants to build a picture of their home over time. Workshop 6 will comprise a wrap-up, outlining the information obtained by the participants which can be utilised to tell the geology, archaeology, and history of their localities. Workshop 6 will also outline how these skills can be used to make your own submission(!) to the ‘KnowYour5k’ initiative by the Heritage Council and National Museum of Ireland. Gathering these submissions for County Roscommon is a key outcome of the course.