Knockcroghery

Knockcroghery (Irish: Cnoc an Chrocaire) is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located between Athlone and Roscommon town, near Lough Ree on the River Shannon. It is one of the closest populations centres to the geographical centre of Ireland.

History

Name

The village nestles at the foot of a stony ridge, which protects it from the east wind that sweeps in from Galey Bay. This accounts for the original name of the village, "Creggan" (Irish: Creagán, meaning "Stony Hill"). In Cromwellian times (17th century), Sir Charles Coote laid siege to Galey Castle; the garrison (O’ Kelly / Ó Ceallaigh chief and clan) resisted and for their defiance were taken to Creggan and hanged on the stepped hill just north of the village, now commonly known as Hangman's Hill. To mark this, the name of the village was changed to ‘Cnoc na Crocaire,’ the Hill of the Hangings, now Anglicised as ‘Knockcroghery’.

The Burning of Knockcroghery