Rooskey and Roundabout Rooskey

Roosky, Rooskey or just plain Rooske is about an hour and forty-five minutes North West of Dublin. It’s on the Shannon River on the Roscommon side of the bridge - Leitrim/Longford being on the other side. In quite recent times, there was a factory which employed around 600 people but now there are only a few shops and a couple of pubs.

I’m living about 2 miles out in the countryside and have a view across Lough Boffin of Drommad which is in Co. Leitrim on the road to Carrick on Shannon, the main town in the county. I passed through Letrim village today on the way to Drumshanbo - my busking destination. No doubt, sooner or later, I will learn how it came to be that the county is named after what is quite a small, if picturesque, place.

Prior to moving here, I was living in Dublin for about 10years, having moved from Birr (nice place, shame about the people), Co. Offaly and having moved there a couple of years earlier from Drumcullogher (another small place with several correct spellings), Co. Limerick. Roscommon is the 9th county I’ve have lived in - 23 to go - and with so many beautiful places a fairly short drive away, I wonder that many more people don’t up sticks and locate themselves here. These days it’s possible for many to earn their living working from home, why live in a suburban sprawl and spend your leisure hours cursing the traffic?

Yesterday, I went to have a look at Lanesborough having noticed that it’s even closer than Roscommon town where I spent an enjoyable and, by my standards, fairly lucrative few hours busking on Monday. On the 22 kilometre drive, I don’t think I met with 22 cars, trucks or tractors. Strangely enough though, I did meet with a little electric Renault Twizzy on the approach to the town. Open roads, Loughs around every bend, birdsong and more wild flowers and blossom than I’ve encountered anywhere else and it’s only April.

When I arrive to a village or town, I do a quick up and down the streets looking for a good spot with not too much traffic noise and reasonable footfall. In some places I’m spoilt for choice - Roscommon for example has a few pedestrian archways with a good acoustic and shelter should it rain, as well as it’s share of supermarkets. It also has it’s share of fine architecture, a decent town park with a magnificent castle. In Lanesborough though, the opposite is the case. The only place where a chance of being heard or seen playing was the Super Valu shop near the bridge over the Shannon and, being polite, I sought permission. Mr Keane, the owner, it appeared was not keen and had a strict ‘no collections or busking’ policy. I did play, just off the car park, and a few kind individuals walked over and dropped coins into my case but in a little over an hour it became clear to me that I wasn’t enjoying the busk and so I folded and went walking the dog.

No matter what direction I head of in from Roosky and no matter how good or bad the busking, the dog is always well catered for and Lanesborough was no different. Down by the bridge, there’s a beautiful walk along the river which eventually leads to a choice of two nature walks and there are ample opportunities for a hot dog to swim. After a good hour and a half here, I decided to busk again bunt in the middle of the town - there’s really only one street and on it, another very small supermarket.

I always believe that I’m busking for someone - regardless of how futile it can seem when there are few people around and fewer of them stopping. I wondered how this Gala store stayed in business as, at least in the hour I played there, I only saw three customers. There were about eight people in all passed by and three of those made up the €2,50 or so earned in that time - an elderly man with a stick, an ex-musician who’d found the lord and given up the rock ’n’ roll and lastly a young lady walking a black scottie dog and pushing a buggy with a very happy 6 month old on board. Catherine must to be the most stylish woman in Lanesborough - a black floppy brimmed hat matching the scottie and her her three quarter length faux raggy black skirt. She stopped and listened and then told me how amazing it was that I was there. On Monday night she’d been wondering why nobody ever came to Lanesborough to busk. Catherine, if you’re reading this, you’ll understand that we can’t often afford to.

Thanks for stopping by though, you made my day.

If you don't live in any of the places I'd be likely to be busking but would like to listen to a song - or even drop a few shillings into my virtual case, here's a useful link: