Did you know that a large area of Drum was once part of the Gaeltacht? And not that long ago either!

When the Gaeltacht was established after the first report of Comisiún na Gaeltachta in 1926, some areas in county Roscommon qualified as Gaeltacht areas (i.e. 25%+ Irish speaking). The following District Electoral Divisions are listed for Roscommon in Acht na dTithe (Gaeltacht) 1929:

• Bealach an Doirín (Ballaghadereen)
• Ceathrama Riabhach (Carrowreagh)
  
• Crannach (Crannagh)
  
• Críoch (Creagh)
  
• Díseart (Dysart)
  
• Cill Caradh (Kilcar)
  
• Teach Mac Chonaill (Taughmaconnell)

Crannagh is west of Athlone, toward the eastern boundary of south Roscommon. The Crannagh area was said to include the following townlands: Callowbeg, Carrickynaghton, Cornafulla, Crancam, Crannagh, Crannagh Beg, Crannagh More, Creggan, Cregganabeaka, Curraghnaboll, Gorrynagawna, Keeloges, Keelty, Lisdillure, Moymure, Taylorstown, Inchinalee Island.

It appears that this status did not hold for long though, and by 1956 the size of the Gaeltacht had decreased significantly. Like most other areas of the country, Roscommon had lost its Gaeltacht status (as the map from 1956 shows).

Very little is known about the history of the Crannagh Gaeltacht. The amount of information available about the Roscommon Gaeltacht is very limited. We would very much appreciate any help or information that anybody can offer us in relation to this. Please contact us if you can help!

We must say thanks to Uinseann Mac Thómais of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Na Forbacha, Co. Galway for his help to date.

If anybody is interested in using their Irish, or developing it further, we would love to hear from you. There are Irish speakers living in the area, but most of them have little opportunity to use it. We would love to organise some social gathering whereby Irish speakers could have the chance to use the language. If we do not use the language, it will die out completely! It is up to us to save it...