It is snowballing in Co Roscommon. It begins with one family from England or Dublin buying a property in this pleasantly pastoral area, and almost before you can say "it's only two-and-a-half hours from Dublin", friends who visit the new arrivals have made an offer on a property - and then their visitors start looking at houses. And so it goes on, says agent John Earley of Roscommon town. This snowballing effect is occurring in most parts of the county, from the areas surrounding the pretty towns of Roscommon and Strokestown, to the rolling landscape of fields bordered by hedgerows and drystone walls outside the small town of Ballaghader reen, where little seems to have changed in the last 30 years.

Properties currently on the market include semi-derelict cottages beginning at £17,000, renovated cottages or Spanish-style bungalows from £35,000 and newly built semi-detached townhouses from £65,000, but these prices could be 20 per cent higher in the south of the county as demand from commuters to Longford, Athlone and even Galway, pushes up prices. In Knockcroghery, south of Roscommon, a new three-bed townhouse, near the main road to Athlone, goes for £80,000 while outside Ballaghaderreen, in north Roscommon, a similar house would cost £15,000 less. The recently introduced rural renewal tax incentive scheme (which covers areas north and east of Roscommon town) is beginning to kick in, says Ballaghaderreen auctioneer James Kilcoyne, and will affect all parts of the market. It is expected to revitalise the new housing market, for locals and families moving from other areas, but also to encourage the renovation of older properties.

here are plenty of renovated cottages around - ideal for holiday homes for families, or for more permanent residences for retired couples. A beautifully reconstructed stone cottage with bare stone internal walls lies just outside the tiny village of Lisacul. Selling for £55,000 through Kilcoyne, it has central heating and consists of a large living/ dining room (with a beamed ceiling), three bedrooms, a fitted kitchen and a bathroom. On 1.3 acres, it includes a large garage and fuel shed.

Less common are period properties, such as the imposing Georgian house located down a winding country road five miles from Roscommon, off the Athlone road. Built in 1860, the three-bed, south-facing house with a long front lawn is in good condition although there are few original features (it has new PVC windows, for instance). It is for sale through Sean Naughton at £80,000 and comes with three acres, a well-tended vegetable garden, a range of stone outbuildings and a patio with a view of gentle hills. There is also the option of an acre of Christmas trees.

In Castlerea, a substantial property will be going for auction on September 10th. Elmfort House is a traditional period house with a diningroom, drawingroom (with antique fireplace), livingroom and kitchen-cum-diningroom (with Stanley range) on the ground floor, and four bedrooms and one bathroom upstairs. It has an enclosed courtyard, granary and mature trees, and stands on 12.5 acres of prime development land, bordering the main Dublin to Wesport/Galway route from Castlerea. Agent Hubert Callaghan says no reserve price has been set. Ease of access to other parts of the country is one reason for Co Roscommon's growing popularity - Sligo, Westport, and Galway are all under an hour away, so it makes a good base for a holiday home.

Lough Corrib is only 30 miles from a small traditional cottage overlooking the village of Cloonfad, near the Galway and Mayo borders, being sold by Hubert Callaghan for £20,000. In need of some renovation, it has a galvanised roof, two bedrooms, a livingroom and a lavatory with a handbasin. Electricity, water and phone are connected, making it a bargain for those who don't want to renovate from scratch.

Properties with lakeside views are becoming harder to find, but Clearys in Castlerea is selling a restored cottage with a view of Ballinlough Lake, which is renowned for its trout fishing. Two miles from the lively village of Ballinlough, the single-storey dwelling with oil-fired central heating, mains water, electricity and phone, comprises a livingroom-cum-kitchen with a Stanley cooker, a utility room, a bathroom and two bedrooms. On four acres of grazing land, the property includes a boat shed, stables and outbuildings and is for sale at £36,000.

Buying a site with an old cottage improves the chance of obtaining planning permission, says John Gill of Sean Naughton auctioneers, and there are more of these properties becoming available as "farmers are starting to see sense and sell an old building they were using as a hay shed - because it's the only bit of the Celtic tiger they will see".

Typical of this type of cottage, which could either be restored, or demolished to make way for a new bungalow, is a secluded single-storey dwelling located in the maze of lanes by Four Mile House, between Roscommon and Strokestown. It has two bedrooms, a livingroom, a separate kitchen, and outbuildings. Electricity is connected but there is no bathroom or septic tank. The £17,000 house, for sale through Naughtons, stands on half an acre of land, and there is an option of another 17 acres. A basic half-acre site with planning permission goes for around £20,000 in north Roscommon and £30,000 in the south, says Sean Naughton. Dubliners now consider Co Roscommon, says agent John Flannery, because property is such good value: "I see Dubliners who've been looking at houses around Westport, but it's too expensive. They call into me on the way back. I show them a house and they often buy it". The other sizeable group buying in the area are second-generation Irish living in England - who are encouraged by the strength of sterling, and the growth in employment levels, to return to their roots.

Co Roscommon may be short of the dramatic scenery, picturesque villages and ocean views found in other parts of the west, but those buying holiday homes or permanent residences in the area are generally looking for a quiet life, says James Kilcoyne. "People who move here tell me: `Don't let it change. We don't want a Galway or west Cork'. They like it for the quiet - the fishing and the golf".