Some interesting Boyle Facts.

People

Boyle is the birthplace of actress Maureen O'Sullivan, writer Patrick Chapman, Suffragette and women's rights campaigner Margaret Cousins, physician Robert Cryan, and hometown of actor\comedian Chris O'Dowd. O'Dowd filmed segments of his six-part comedy Moone Boy in the town in January 2012, to be shown onSky 1 in September.

The writer John McGahern grew up near Boyle and Boyle is mentioned in several of his books. In his novel The Dark, a scene is played out in the dining room of the Royal Hotel, overlooking the river.

Former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, has a holiday home near Boyle, as does Emmy-winning actor Brendan Gleeson.

John Carty is an Irish traditional musician. He plays fiddle, tenor banjo, tenor guitar and, occasionally, the flute. He is very interested in the North Connacht traditional music style. Born in London, Carty now lives in Boyle, County Roscommon. In 2003, he was declared Irish television station TG4’s 'Traditional Musician of the Year'.

The UFO society of Ireland was founded in Boyle by the late Betty Meyler. Considered a UFO hotspot, Boyle hosts an annual conference on the subject.

Places of Interest

The 5-arch bridge across the Boyle River close to the Abbey, known as Abbeytown Bridge. Also built in the late 12th Century, it could well be the oldest surviving stone bridge in Ireland. It has been widened but still carries a 5-ton load.

The Drumanone Dolmen is just west of the town. It is a site of Irish and European historic archaeological significance. This Dolmen located outside Boyle, is a fine example of a portal dolmen, and was built before 2000BC. The word "dolmen" is Celtic in origin and means "stone table".

The great capstone, 4.5m x 3m wide, is one of the largest to be seen in Ireland. Drumanone Dolmen has portal stones more than 2m high and a doorstone about 2m high. The capstone is about 4m square and has slipped back to cover the polygonal chamber. The sides of the chamber are each composed of a single stone. It is located in pasture land about 300m north of the Boyle River. This is an excellent example of a Portal Tomb, the chamber structure is fully exposed due to the usual robbing away of the covering cairn. There are two large portal stones, each over 2m high, these are set longitudinally and parallel to the NE-SW long axis of the tomb. There are two side stones, the one to the south has been re-erected, and the western slab has been tilted over by the mass of the slipped capstone, and it is now supported by a steel girder. A small stone sits between the side slabs at the SW, and this may be a remnant of a broken back slab. The capstone is huge, measuring roughly 4.5m x 3.8m, it has slipped back quite a distance from its original position, and has distorted the rear end of the tomb considerably.

Boyle Arts Festival

This renowned Festival is a highly regarded event, considered the best small-town arts festival in Ireland. The summer event has been held since c. 1990 and has established an impressive reputation for excellence. The festival has been the winner of several national awards and welcomes new and innovative contributions. Events include a major art exhibition of works by contemporary Irish Artists, Classical and Traditional Music, Poetry, Drama, Lectures and Children's events.