Rath, County Clare
Rath
An Ráth | |
|---|---|
Civil parish | |
 Rath Castle | |
  Rath | |
| Coordinates: 52°55′12″N 9°05′20″W / 52.919965°N 9.088808°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| County | Clare |
| Barony | Inchiquin |
Rath (Irish: An Ráth[1]) is a civil parish in the barony of Inchiquin in County Clare, Ireland.
Location[edit]
Rath lies on the R460 regional road between Inagh to the south-west and Corofin to the north-east.[2] It is about 5.75 miles (9.25 km) northwest of the county town - Ennis. [3] Corofin, in the parish of Kilnaboy, is about 1.75 miles (2.82 km) to the south.[4] The parish is 6.5 by 2.75 miles (10.46 by 4.43 km) and covers 8,488 acres (3,435 ha).[4] The bridge at Corofin over the River Fergus is the northern boundary of the parish. Hamlets include Riverston and Knockmacart. The former West Clare Railway traversed the parish from east to west.
The land consists of a mix of coarse pasture and good arable land. It contains parts of the lakes of Inchiquin and Tadane.[3]
There are the ruins of an ancient church near the shore of a small lake, and nearby the ruined Rath Castle. Other ruined castles are O'Nial's Court, once the residence of the O'Nials, and Tier Mac Bran castle near the shore of Inchiquin lake.[3] In 1841 the population was 2,647 in 398 houses.[4] The parish today is part of the Catholic parish of Corofin, Kilnaboy and Rath. It is served by the church of St Mary's in Rath.[5]
Legend of Lough Raha[edit]
Lough Raha is said to be the place where the early Irish saint Mac Creiche defeated the Brioch-Seach, or badger monster.[6] The demon badger killed both cattle and men, and was not subdued by the prayers of six local saints.[7] When Mac Creiche arrived the monster, as high as a tall tree, was pursuing and killing the people, discharging balls of fire from its mouth.[8] The saint drove the monster into the waters of the lake, which turned red. The monster rose up again, and Mac Creiche took his cowl and threw it over the monster. The cowl grew so it was "like a cowl of smelted iron" that pressed the monster to the lake bed. The monster would not arise again until the eve of Judgement Day.[9]
Townlands[edit]
The parish contains the townlands of Annagh, Applevale, Ballykinnacorra North, Ballykinnacorra South, Boherbullog, Cahercorcaun, Cahernamona, Carnane, Carrowduff, Carrownagarraun, Carrowvere, Craggaunboy, Clifden, Cregmoher, Curraghkeel, Drinagh, Gortcooldurrin, Gortnaglough, Killeen, Kihaska, Knocknareeha, Liscullaun, Loughnagowan, Maghera, Martry, Moanreel North, Moanreel South, Moherbullog, Moyhill, Poulbaun, Rafline, Rath, Roxton, Scool, Shessiv and Tonlegee.[10]
References[edit]
Citations
- ^ An Ráth, Placenames Database of Ireland.
- ^ OS Map showing Rath.
- ^ a b c Lewis 1837.
- ^ a b c Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland 1845.
- ^ Corofin, Churches, Diocese of Killaloe.
- ^ O'Curry 1878, p. 332.
- ^ Westropp 1910, p. 478.
- ^ Conglinne 1939, p. 585.
- ^ Maclagan 1882, p. 178.
- ^ Map of Rath Parish showing Townlands.
Sources
- "An Ráth". Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- Conglinne, Mac (1939). "How Mac Creiche Slew the Yellow Pest". Mediaeval Pageant. Ardent Media. GGKEY:TJEEPR7TL6D. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- "Corofin, Churches". Diocese of Killaloe. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- Lewis, Samuel (1837). "Rath". County Clare: A History and Topography. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- Maclagan, Robert Craig (1882). Scottish Myths: Notes on Scottish History and Tradition. Maclachlan and Stewart. p. 178. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- "Map of Rath Parish showing Townlands". Clare County Library. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- O'Curry, Eugene (1878). Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History: Delivered at the Catholic University of Ireland, During the Sessions of 1855 and 1856. William A. Hinch. p. 631. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- "OS Map showing Rath". Ordnance Survey Ireland.
- "Rath". Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland. 1845. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- Westropp, Thos. J. (1910). "A Folklore Survey of County Clare IX. Supernatural Animals". Folk-Lore. 21. doi:10.1080/0015587X.1910.9720541. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
External links[edit]