New DVD to explore Rosemount history

A new DVD exploring the history and heritage of Rosemount will be launched in the village this Saturday, as part of Heritage Week.

Entitled 'Rosemount - History and Heritage', the film is narrated by Fr Jimmy Murray and includes drone footage of many of the historical sites in the locality.
It's being launched in Rosemount Community Centre this Saturday (August 24) at 7.30pm.
Kilcumeragh is the old name for Rosemount, and the DVD explains that the seventh century monastic site of Kill gave its name to the area.
Remains of the thirteenth century church are still there today. The McGeoghegans, one of the great ancient Irish clans, lived in the area but with the Cromwellian invasion and the settlement of 1653, they lost most of their territory.
One remaining legacy is the remains of Laragh Castle and another is Rosemount House, a Georgian mansion built in 1773. The last members of the McGeoghegan family are buried in two mausoleums in Kill cemetery.
The sacred hill of Cnoc Aiste, with its Bronze Age cairn containing 45 cisted graves, is of huge historical importance to Rosemount and continues to be a pilgrimage site today.
Also featured in the DVD is the history of Ballagh village, a pre-famine village where at least twenty one houses once existed. The history of Mass rocks, Ballagh Church, and St Thomas’s Church, are all included also.
Fr Murray’s extensive history of the area is beautifully presented in this DVD and it is hoped to keep this history very much alive in the village.
Those involved in the project expressed their gratitude to Westmeath County Council for supporting the venture, and to Mick Bracken and Paul Plunkett for their filming and editing expertise.
The DVD will be available for purchase at the launch in Rosemount Community Centre on Saturday evening.