Elphin
Elphin

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Elphin · Co. Roscommon

Small village where an ancient bishopric stood. Oliver Goldsmith was educated at the diocesan school here.

Elphin is a small historic village of about 715 people in east-central Roscommon. It was an ancient episcopal see — Saint Patrick founded a monastic settlement here in 434. The Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111 formally established the Diocese of Elphin. It is one of the oldest dioceses in Connacht.

The village is significant for its connection to Oliver Goldsmith, the writer and poet. Goldsmith attended the Diocesan School here, known as the Latin School. He was educated here before the school closed in the 1860s. Sir William Wilde, the father of Oscar Wilde, was another notable student. The school was a door — for clever boys from the midlands, Elphin School meant access to learning and beyond.

The bishopric in the Church of Ireland lasted until 1841 when it was combined with Kilmore and Ardagh to form a united bishopric. The seat was moved to Kilmore in County Cavan. What remains of Elphin is the older history — stone and names, the weight of time in a small place. This is not a village for tourists. It is a place where quiet things happened and happened long ago.

Population

~715

Founded

434 (monastic settlement)

Coords

53.8833° N, 8.0000° W

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At a glance.

Three things every local will eventually mention. Read these and you've already understood more than most day-trippers do.

01 The episcopal history

Saint Patrick founded a settlement in 434. Formal bishopric from 1111.

Elphin was an old see in the Church of Ireland. The Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111 formally established the Diocese of Elphin. In the Church of Ireland, the bishopric continued until 1841 when it merged with Kilmore and Ardagh.

Stories & lore → 02 The school

Diocesan school, closed 1860s.

The Latin School of Elphin educated boys including Oliver Goldsmith, the writer. Goldsmith attended before the school closed in the 1860s. The school was a door to the wider world in a small village.

Stories & lore → 03 The windmill

17th/18th century, a working mill in its time.

The old windmill stands as a reminder of practical life in the village. It represents a different kind of history than the church — the work of ordinary time.

Walks & outings →

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Stories & lore.

The reason to come back. The things every local will eventually tell you about, usually after the second pint.

434–1841

The episcopal see

Saint Patrick founded a monastic settlement in an area known as Corcoghlan, now known as Elphin, in 434 or 435. Following the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111, the Diocese of Elphin was formally established, making it one of the oldest dioceses in Connacht. In the Church of Ireland, the bishopric continued until 1841 when it was united with Kilmore and Ardagh to form the combined bishopric of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh. The seat of the bishopric was then moved to Kilmore in County Cavan. In the 1860s, the school was closed. What remains is the archaeological and historical weight of an old place.

Student

Oliver Goldsmith

Oliver Goldsmith, the writer and poet (author of "She Stoops to Conquer" and "The Vicar of Wakefield"), was educated at the Diocesan School — the Latin School — of Elphin. The school produced educated men for the Church and for learning. Goldsmith was not the only notable: Sir William Wilde, father of Oscar Wilde and a pioneering eye surgeon, also attended. For bright boys in the midlands of Ireland, Elphin School was a door to the wider world.

17th–18th century

The windmill

The old windmill of Elphin stands as a reminder of practical work in the village. It represents a different history than the church — the ordinary work of ordinary time, the turning of stone and grain.

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