jails historical roscommon

Adjacent to Roscommon Castle is the massive building of solid stone, once the county jail. It was built in the 1740s. It is known for having a hangwoman "Lady Betty", a criminal who had her sentence for murder withdrawn on conditiion that she carried out the hangman's task without pay.
Roscommon jail was the scene of all the public hangings in the county.It later became a mental insitution, and then a refuge to treat small pox.

The old jail has now been dev...