In 2006 Michael Jackson recorded in a farmhouse studio outside Rosemount, working on an album that never appeared. Grouse Lodge, the residential studio that drew him, has also had Muse, Morrissey, Snow Patrol and REM through its doors: an unlikely pull for a village of a pub, a school, a church and a community centre on the hills north-east of Moate. You can’t visit the studio, mind. It is a private venue, so please respect that. The village’s history is the part you can read about, and the surrounding countryside is for walking.
Knockastia and its cairn
Knockastia (Cnoc Aiste) is a hill above the village, topped by a Bronze Age cairn. A Harvard Archaeological Expedition dug it in 1932 – the mound had clearly mattered to people here for a very long time. The local visitor guide records the prehistoric cairn and the archaeologists’ work. It is a protected monument; leave the hill and adjoining fields undisturbed, and enjoy it as a landmark from the public roads around Rosemount.
On the hill’s southern slope, a disused quarry is a listed County Geological Site, a good exposure of Waulsortian limestone and now a haunt of birds of prey.
Around the village
A couple of local corners are worth knowing about. The Ballagh Famine Village nearby preserves the ruins of an 18th-century church, school and pub; it is associated with guided visits during National Heritage Week each August, and the Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society handles visits, so check with them before you go. For anyone tracing family from here, a rare 1834 pre-Famine census of Kilcrumreragh parish, which straddles the Westmeath–Offaly border, survives and is held at the Dún na Sí Heritage Centre in Moate.
For a walk in the area, choose the marked route on the Old Rail Trail, with public access points near Moate.
Village life
Rosemount keeps a strong community streak. Its GAA club, the Black and Amber, has a long record in the Westmeath Senior Football Championship and a well-run underage set-up; it climbed back to senior grade in 2017 after winning the intermediate championship the year before. The village had its national moment in 2022, when local woman Rachel Duffy became the first Westmeath winner of the Rose of Tralee.
Practical information
Getting there – Rosemount is off the R390 from Moate or the N52 from Athlone, with the nearest train station at Athlone, about 20 km away. Use public streets and respect private property and residents’ driveways.
On the ground – Stay on public roads in the village. Bring what you need or plan a stop in Moate or Athlone.
Time a visit for National Heritage Week in August if you want to ask about the Ballagh ruins, and check locally first. The rest of the year, it’s the village, the view of Knockastia and the Old Rail Trail that make the trip.