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RACAVAN, or RATHCAVAN, a parish, in the barony of LOWER ANTRIM, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, on the road from Larne to Ballymena; containing, with the post-town of Broughshane (which is separately described), 4479 inhabitants. This parish, which is also called Rathcoon, is situated on the river Braid, and according to the Ordnance survey comprises, including a small detached portion, 17,563 statute acres, of which 12,271 are applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £5176 per annum. The surface is boldly varied; there are large tracts of mountain, bog, and waste; the remainder is arable land of a light gravelly soil. There are several basaltic quarries in operation; greenstone is found in great abundance; and near the base of Slemish, a detached mountain of greenstone, gold is said to have been found. Race View, the seat of R. Harrison Esq., is in the parish. There are four extensive bleach-greens, with beetling-engines and other apparatus, in which together more than 100,000 webs of linen are finished annually; there is also a large mill for spinning linen yarn, and the weaving of linen cloth is extensively carried on in various parts of the parish. A large fair is held at Broughshane on the 17th of August, for horses, cattle, and pigs; and great numbers of carcases of pigs are sold in the market every Tuesday, to the agents of the Belfast merchants. The parish is within the jurisdiction of the manorial court of Buckna, held every month at Broughshane, for the recovery of debts not exceeding £20.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Connor, forming part of the union of Skerry, or the Braid; the tithes amount to £316. 16. 1. The church at Broughshane has been built within the last 50 years. There is a place of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the first class, a spacious handsome building with a cupola, containing a bell; also for Covenanters at Craigamuoy. About 100 children are taught in the national school at Broughshane; and there are four private schools, in which are about 800 children, and two Sunday schools. Here is an excellent institution for the accommodation of the poor, and a clothing society, affording clothing to 50 males and 50 females annually; both are supported by subscription. Mr. Jamieson, in 1829, bequeathed £600 to the poor, but the legacy has not been yet paid over for that purpose. There is a small ancient churchyard at some distance from the main road, and difficult of access; it is of triangular form and well walled, and is now used exclusively as a burial-place for Presbyterians.

RADDONSTOWN, or BALRODDAN, a parish, in the barony of UPPER DEECE, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 1 3/4 mile (N. E.) from Kilcock, on one of the roads to Maynooth; containing 651 inhabitants. This parish comprises 1705 1/2 statute acres of excellent land, about one-half of which is under tillage, and the remainder meadow and pasture; the system of agriculture is in an improved state, and there is no waste land; coal is found but is not worked. The principal seats are Dollandstown, the residence of A. U. Gledstanes, Esq.; Newtown Prospect, of A. Coates, Esq.; Bridestream, of J. Coates, Esq.; Colgath, of Mrs. Tronson; and Raddonstown, of J. Morron, Esq. The Royal Canal from Dublin passes the southern extremity of the parish. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, united from time immemorial to the rectories of Balfeighan, Gallow, Drumlargan, and Kilcloan, and in the patronage of the Crown. The tithes amount to £120, and the gross value of the benefice is £485. 3. 7 1/4. per ann.: the glebe consists of half an acre near the church, which is an ancient plain edifice. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union of Batters-town: the chapel is a small edifice. The late Rev. W. Tew bequeathed £200, of which he appropriated the interest to the payment of a schoolmaster and schoolmistress for the gratuitous instruction of children; also £50 for annual distribution among the poor: no school has been yet established, and the money is lodged with the Commissioners of charitable bequests. There is a private school, in which are about 50 children, also a dispensary. Near Raddonstown is a perfect Danish fort.

RAFRAN.--See TEMPLEMURRY.

RAGHERY, or RAGHLIN.--See RATHLIN.

RAHAN, a parish, in the barony of FERMOY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 2 1/2 miles (E.) from Mallow, on the road to Fermoy, and on the river Blackwater; containing 3781 inhabitants. At Carrigoon, on the north side of the river, was a garrison for Jas. II.; and nearly opposite to it stood the castle of Ballymagooly, which was garrisoned by the English, the relief of which occasioned the battle of Bottle hill, in this neighbourhood. A grant of a market and two fairs was made in the 36th of Chas. II., with a court of pie poudre for the manor of Cotterborough, but they are not now held. The parish, which comprises 9930 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £5909 per ann., lies partly on the north, but chiefly on the south, side of the Blackwater. The arable land is in general good, and there is a considerable portion of reclaimable mountain and some excellent bog, from which the Mallow market is partly supplied with fuel: limestone abounds and is used for building and agricultural purposes, and the state of agriculture has of late years been much improved. Rockforest, the spacious and handsome mansion of Sir J. L. Cotter, Bart., is beautifully situated on a rising ground between the Black-water and the Lavally mountain, in an extensive and richly wooded demesne, bounded on the north by the river, which sweeps boldly under the rock of Carrig, the woods and castellated tower on the summit of the rock forming a most picturesque and interesting scene. The other seats are Rockforest Lodge, the residence of Pierse Creagh, Esq.; and Ballymagooley, of John Courtenay, Esq., noticed under the head of the village of that name. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Cloyne, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the rectory is impropriate in Col. Longfield. The parish was formerly united to that of Carrigleamleary, but was separated about 30 years since, when a portion of the latter was attached to Rahan to make the division more equal. The tithes, amounting to £484. 12. 4., are payable in equal portions to the impropriator and the vicar. The church is a small neat structure with a low square tower, towards the erection of which, in 1788, the late Board of First Fruits gave £500, and it was also aided by Sir J. L. Cotter, to whose memory and that of his lady it contains a neat mural monument; the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £142 for its thorough repair. In the R. C. divisions the parish is partly in the union or district of Ballinamona, but chiefly in that of Mallow. There is a small meeting-house for Wesleyan Methodists. The parochial school at Cotterborough, near Ballymagooly, is a neat building, comprising two large school-rooms, with apartments for the master and mistress, erected in 1823 under the auspices of the late vicar, at an expense of about £250, of which £100 was a grant from the Lord-lieutenant's fund; it is chiefly supported by subscription. At Knockbrack is a school for boys, supported by a bequest from the late H. Cotter, Esq., and £12 per ann. from W. D. La Touche, Esq., whose father gave the site for the school and an acre of land; another school is supported by subscription, in which and in the two former about 100 children are educated; and there are two private schools, in which are about 90 children. The late H. J. Cotter, Esq., in 1831, bequeathed £500, and a small estate in this parish producing about £90 per ann., in trust to promote the scriptural education of the poor; and the Rev. George Brereton, formerly vicar of Rahan, bequeathed £200 late currency, of which the interest is annually distributed at Christmas to six poor persons on the church list; he also bequeathed £30 to purchase a church bell, and a similar sum for completing the parochial school-house. Some remains of the old church still exist.

RAHAN, or RAGHAN, a parish, in the barony of BALLYCOWAN, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 3 1/2 miles (W.) from Tullamore; containing 4032 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the river Clodagh, comprises 9924 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the land, though varying greatly in quality, is in general good and in a profitable state of cultivation. Limestone is quarried for building and for agricultural purposes, and there is an adequate quantity of bog. The only seat is the Lodge, the residence of J. O'Brien, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the union of Fircall or Killaughey; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Downshire. The tithes amount to £209. 18. 10., of which £138. 9. 2 1/2 is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. A portion of the parish, including 6613 statute acres, has been formed into a district parish, and a perpetual curacy instituted, of which the incumbent of Fircall is patron: the income of the curate is £107. 7. 8 1/4., arising from a stipend of £55. 7. 8 1/4. paid by the incumbent, £37 from Primate Boulter's Augmentation Fund, and 10 acres of glebe, valued at £15 per annum. The glebe-house was built in 1817, at an expense of £500, of which £450 was a gift and £50 a loan from the late Board of First Fruits. The church, which is annexed to the curacy, is a small edifice, erected in 1732, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £166 for its repair. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, called Killina, and comprising also the parish of Lynally; there are chapels at Killina and Kilpatrick, and one in the parish of Lynally. There is also a chapel annexed to the R. C. college at Tullabeg, founded in 1818 for the education of young gentlemen, under a rector and seven professors belonging to the order of Jesus: and a Presentation convent. About 240 children are taught in four public schools, of which the parochial school is aided by subscription, and has a house and an acre of land rent-free, given by Mr. Acres; and a female school is supported by the ladies of the convent, who gratuitously instruct the children. There are also five private schools, in which are about 250 children.

RAHARROW, or RAHARA, a parish, in the barony of ATHLONE, county of ROSCOMMON, and province of CONNAUGHT, 9 miles (N. W.) from Athlone, on the roads from that place to Athleague and Roscommon; containing 1630 inhabitants. It comprises 4741 statute acres of tolerably good land, chiefly in tillage, and there is a small portion of bog; the state of agriculture is improving. Limestone is found in the parish, and within its limits is Lough Funcheon, more commonly called Ballagh Lough from a hamlet of that name at its northern extremity: it is the largest sheet of water in the barony, extending two miles in length and containing some islands, besides a large promontory, which is occasionally insulated; the lough is bounded on the northeast by hills, but its borders are elsewhere fiat and marshy, and it has on the whole a bleak appearance. The seats are Loughfield, the residence of P. Sproules, Esq., and Rahara, of Alex. Sproules, Esq. Petty sessions are held once a fortnight at the Four Roads. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin, forming part of the union of Killenvoy: the rectory is impropriate in the Incorporated Society. The tithes amount to £124. 5. 9., of which £66. 5. 9. is payable to the vicar, and the remainder to the impropriators; and there is a glebe of 10 acres, let for £10. 1. 3. per annum. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of St. John's, and contains a chapel. About 70 children are educated in a private school.

RAHELTY, a parish, in the barony of ELIOGARTY, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 2 1/2 miles (N. N. E.) from Thurles; containing 1174 inhabitants, and comprising 2821 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £2058 per annum. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, forming part of the union of Thurles: the rectory is impropriate in E. Taylor, Esq. The tithes amount to £194, of which £96 is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions also it is part of the union or district of Thurles. About 110 children are educated in two private schools. The old castle of Rahelty still exists.

RAHENY, a parish, in the barony of COOLOCK, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 4 1/4 miles (N. E.) from the Post-office, Dublin, on the road to Howth; containing 612 inhabitants. This place, formerly called Rathenny, derived its name from an ancient rath or moat in the centre of the village, overhanging a small stream; and is supposed to have formed part of the district called Rechen, which, together with Baelduleek (Baldoyle) and Portrahern (Portrane), was granted by Anlave, King of Dublin, to the church of the Holy Trinity, in 1040. It is also noticed under the name of Rathena, by Archdall, as the birth-place or residence of a saint about the year 570, at which time probably there may have been a religious establishment. The celebrated battle of Clontarf took place in its immediate vicinity; and it may probably have been a post of some importance, as commanding the pass of the small river which flows beneath the rath in the village. The parish is bounded on the east by the sea: the land is in general of good quality, the greater portion is meadow and pasture, and the arable land produces excellent crops of wheat; the system of agriculture is in a very improved state, and there is neither waste land nor bog. Limestone of good quality is abundant and is quarried for building and for agricultural purposes. The chief seats are the Manor House, erected by a branch of the Grace family, and now the property of W. Sweetman, Esq.; Fox House, of J. A. Sweetman, Esq.; Fox Hill, of E. J. Irwin, Esq.; Edenmore (formerly Violet Hill), of J. Maconchy, Esq.; Raheny Cottage, of J. Ball, Esq.; Bettyville, of J. Classon, Esq.; Swan's Nest, of W. Craig, Esq.; Belmont, of Mrs. White; and Ballyhay, of J. D'Arcey, Esq. A constabulary police force is stationed in the village; and petty sessions are held there on alternate Thursdays. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Dublin, and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to £316. 10. 6.; the glebe-house is a good residence, and the glebe comprises about 30 acres of profitable land. The church, a small plain edifice, is supposed to have been rebuilt about the year 1609. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union of Clontarf. About 150 children are taught in two public schools, of which the parochial school is supported by the rents of eight houses forming the crescent of Raheny, bequeathed for that purpose by the late Samuel Dick, Esq., who, in 1787, built the school-house; the R. C. school is chiefly supported by the Sweetman family, of whom the late W. Sweetman, Esq., in 1820, built the school-house, with apartments for the master, at his own expense. There is a dispensary in the village; and the late Mrs. Preston, in 1831, bequeathed £100 for the poor of the parish.

RAHILL and BROUGHLSTOWN, a parish, in the barony of RATHVILLY, county of CARLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (S.) from Baltinglass; containing 269 inhabitants. This parish is situated at the northern extremity of the county, on the confines of Wicklow, and is bounded on the east by the river Slaney: it comprises 2636 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, about four-fifths of which consist of meadow and pasture, and the remainder of arable land, with a few acres of bog. It is a rectory and impropriate cure, in the diocese of Leighlin; the rectory is appropriate to the dean and chapter, and the curacy forms part of the union of Rathvilly: the tithes amount to £184. 12. 3 1/2. In the R. C. divisions also it is included in the union or district of Rathvilly. On the townland of Rahill are the ruins of the old church, with a burial-ground attached; the surrounding scenery is of a pleasing character, embracing the mountains of Cadeen and Lugnaquilla, in the adjoining county of Wicklow.

RAHOON, a parish, partly in the barony of MOYCULLEN, county of GALWAY, but chiefly in the county of the town of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 3 1/2 miles (W.) from Galway, on the road to Oughterard; containing, with the village of Freeport, and Mutton Island, 14,135 inhabitants. This place is situated on the bay of Galway, and partly on the road along the coast. The village of Freeport was much frequented as a fishing station; there is still a quay, which was erected by the Fishery Board, but it is at present of very little use and much out of repair. Mutton island, in the harbour of Galway, is connected with the main land by a ridge of sand which is dry at low water, and a light has been placed on it to facilitate the navigation of the bay. The parish comprises 24,000 statute acres of land, which is of very inferior quality and principally in pasture. Fairs are held at Barna on the 5th of Feb., May, Aug., and Nov. It is a rectory and perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Tuam; the rectory forming part of the union of St. Nicholas, or wardenship of Galway; and the perpetual curacy, part of the union of Kilcummin. The tithes amount to £117. 1. 6., and the glebe comprises 34 statute acres. In the R. C. divisions it is in the diocese of Galway, and co-extensive with that of the Established Church: there are two chapels, situated respectively at Bushy Park and at Barna; and a Presentation convent, in which is a school for poor girls, who are gratuitously instructed by the ladies of that institution. About 580 children are taught in three public schools, of which that held in the convent, is in connection with the New Board of Education, and one is partly supported by the parish priest, for which a house rent-free was bequeathed by the Rev. Mr. Morney, P. P.; there are also seven private schools, in which are about 250 children.

RAHUE, RATHUE, or RATHUGH, a parish, in the barony of MOYCASHEL, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 4 1/4 miles (S. by E.) from Kilbeggan, on the road to Philipstown; containing 1129 inhabitants. A monastery was founded here in the sixth century by St. Aid, who died in 588. The parish comprises 3898 statute acres; the soil is in general light, and there is a small portion of bog; the state of agriculture is rather backward. A branch from the Grand canal at Ballycommon passes through it. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the union of Ardnurcher; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Downshire. The tithes amount to £101. 10. 9 1/2., of which £64. 12. 3 1/2. is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Kilbeggan; the chapel is at Little Ross, and there is a meeting-house for Baptists at Rathugh. About 70 children are educated in three private schools. At, Rathugh are two large raths, or moats, from which this place derives its name, and there is a third at a short distance. One of these, which is very remarkable, is supposed to have been the mausoleum of a native prince. At Ballybroider are vestiges of an old fortified house, and of another at Little Ross.

RAIGH, or ROY, an island, in the parish of MEVAGH, barony of KILMACRENAN, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 5 miles (N. E.) from Glen: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated in Mulroy bay, and contains about 86 statute acres of pasture land. At low water the strand between it and the main land is dry.

RALOO, or RALLOO, a parish, in the barony of LOWER BELFAST, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 5 1/4 miles (N.) from Carrickfergus; containing 2171 inhabitants. It comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 6105 3/4 statute acres of land, of which about one-fourth is of good and one-fourth of medium quality, and the remainder boggy and mountainous. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Connor, constituting part of the union of Carrickfergus and corps of the deanery of Connor: the tithes amount to £148. 12. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Larne and Carrickfergus. At Toreagh, Ballyvallagh, and Loughmorn, are schools under the National Board, in which about 180 children are educated; and there are three private schools, in which are about 100 children.

RAMELTON, a market and post-town, in the parish of AUGHNISH, barony of KILMACRENAN, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 19 miles (N. N. W.) from Lifford, and 123 1/2 (N. W. by N.) from Dublin; containing 1783 inhabitants. Sir Wm. Stewart, Knt., who was much in favour with Jas. I., became an undertaker for the plantation of escheated lands, of which he obtained a grant or patent of 1000 acres in this vicinity, and was created a baronet of Ireland in 1623. At the time of Pynnar's Survey he had built a strong bawn here, 80 feet square and 16 feet high, with four flankers and a strong and handsome castle; and contiguous to these he had built the town, then containing 45 houses, inhabited by 57 British families; he had also nearly completed the erection of a church: the place was then considered well situated for military defence. The town stands on the river Lenon, which here empties itself into Lough Swilly, and is navigable for small vessels: it consists of three streets, containing 341 houses, and is admirably adapted for manufactures of every description. Here are extensive corn-mills, a brewery, bleach-green, and linen manufactory, and a considerable quantity of linen is made by hand in the vicinity. A market for provisions is held on Tuesday, and on Thursday and Saturday for com; and fairs are held on the Tuesday next after May 20th, Nov. 15th, and on the Tuesday after Dec. 11th. A chief constabulary police force is stationed in the town, and petty sessions are held on alternate Thursdays. There is a small salmon fishery, producing about £500 annually; the fish are considered to be in season throughout the year, and are mostly exported to England. In the town are the parochial church, meeting-houses for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster (of the first class) and for Methodists, a small fever hospital, and a dispensary. A loan fund has been established; also a ladies' society and a shop for the sale of clothes at reduced prices to the poor. The parochial and Presbyterian schools, noticed in the article on Aughnish, are also in the town. On the shore of Lough Swilly is Fort Stewart, the residence of Sir Jas. Stewart, Bart., surrounded by an extensive and well planted demesne; and at a short distance to the north-east is Fort Stewart Castle, erected by Sir Wm. Stewart. the original patentee of the surrounding lands. Pearls of considerable value are occasionally found in the river Lenon.

RAMOAN, or RATHMORAN, a parish, in the barony of CAREY, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER; containing, with the post-town of Ballycastle (which is separately described), 4739 inhabitants. This place, called also Rathmona, signifying "the fort in the bog," is situated on the sea-shore, and forms the western boundary of Ballycastle bay. The coast, consisting of bold, precipitous cliffs, is here too abrupt to afford a convenient landing-place, except the quay at Ballycastle, which was constructed at considerable expense, though now in a dilapidated state. The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 12,066 1/2 statute acres, principally under cultivation; the system of agriculture is highly improved, but the lands in several parts being very much exposed, the wheat does not ripen well. The quality of the land differs much, but is in general productive, and the extensive mountain of Knocklaide affords good pasturage: it is one of the highest in the county, half being within this parish, and the other half in that of Armoy; its summit is 1685 feet above the level of the sea at low water. There are considerable tracts of bog near the Coleraine road, and of waste land in the line towards the Giants' Causeway, and near the base of Knocklaide. Coal of excellent quality is found here, but no mines have been opened, though the collieries in the adjoining parish of Culfeightrim, usually known as the Ballycastle collieries, were formerly worked to a considerable extent. Superior freestone, in colour and grain equal to Portland stone, is quarried here, but not to any great extent. The spinning of linen yarn, and the weaving of cloth, are carried on in some of the farmhouses. A market and fairs, and courts leet and baron, are held at Ballycastle. Clare Park is the elegant seat of Chas. McGildowney, Esq.; Glenbank, of Mrs. Cuppage; and the glebe-house, of the Rev. Leslie Creery.

The living was formerly a vicarage, united to that of Culfeightrim, the rectories of which, since 1609, were appropriate to the chancellorship of Connor, till 1831, when, on the decease of Dr. Trail, the last chancellor, it became a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Connor, under the provisions of the act of the 5th of Geo. IV., cap. 80, and now constitutes the corps of the chancellorship, with cure of souls, in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £400: the glebe-house was built in 1809, at an expense of £480, of which £369 was a gift, and £110 a loan, from the late Board of First Fruits; the glebe comprises 26 acres of good arable land, valued at £39 per annum. The church is a small edifice, and was rebuilt in 1812, at an expense of £369, a loan from the same Board: it contains some very ancient monuments. There is also an endowed church, or chapel, at Ballycastle. In the R. C. divisions the parish is called Ballycastle; it contains two chapels, one in the town, the other at Glenslush. There are two places of worship for Presbyterians, in connection with the Synod of Ulster, one of which is in the town, and the other near the church; both are of the third class: there is also a Methodist meeting-house. About 400 children are educated in five public schools, of which the parochial school is principally supported by the rector; and in five private schools are about 180 children. There are also six Sunday schools. At Ballycastle are almshouses founded by Hugh Boyd, Esq., who also endowed a charter school, now discontinued, near the church, with 12 acres of land. On the summit of Knocklaide is a tumulus called Cairn-an-Truagh, said traditionally to be the burial-place of three Danish princesses. There are several raths in the parish, some terminating in a pointed apex, and others flat on the top like a truncated cone; of the latter sort, one, within a quarter of a mile of the town, is called Dun-a-Mallaght, the "cursed fort." The castle of Doonaninney stands on a bold headland, 300 feet above the level of the sea, commanding the channel and the isle of Rathlin: two miles westward are the noble and romantic ruins of Kinbane, or Kenbann, castle, built on a projecting cliff of limestone rock, running out several hundred feet into the sea, under some bold headlands, which rise 280 feet above the ruins. In the town of Ballycastle are the remains of the edifice which gave name to the place; an uninteresting gable is all that exists: about two miles hence, on the Glenslush water, are the ruins of a very extraordinary castle, called Goban-Saor, which once was the residence of the powerful chieftain O'Cahan: and immediately adjoining the quay of Ballycastle are the interesting ruins of the abbey of Bonamargy, founded by Mac Donnell, in 1509, which was perhaps the latest erected in Ireland for Franciscan monks; the chapel is in tolerable preservation, being the burial-place of the Antrim family. According to Archdall, St. Patrick founded a religious house here, called Rath-Moane, in which he placed St. Ereclasius. Vast quantities of beautiful pebbles are found along the shore, among which are chalcedony, opal, dentrites, and belemnites. On the lands of Drumans, on the side of the great mountain of Knocklaide, is a spring, the waters of which are strongly chalybeate, and may be conveyed to distant places without any diminution of their effect.

RAMSGRANGE, a village, in the parish of ST. JAMES, barony of SHELBURNE, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 9 miles (S.) from New Ross, on the road from Arthurstown to Salt Mills; containing 220 inhabitants. Here is a R. C. chapel belonging to the union or district of Hook; being in a dilapidated state, it is in contemplation to build a new one on a different site. Near the chapel is a residence for the priest.

RAM'S ISLAND, in the parish of GLENAVY, barony of UPPER MASSEREENE, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER; the population is returned with the parish. This small island, which is situated about two miles from the eastern shore of Lough Neagh, comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 6a. 3r. 23p.: it is partially planted with fruit trees and otherwise improved and ornamented, and with the remains of its ancient round tower forms an interesting object from the shores of the lake. The tower, of which 43 feet still remain, is divided into three stories, and has an entrance on the south-west nearly level with the ground; in the second story is a window facing the south-east, and in the third is another facing the north. About 5 1/2 feet from the ground are the remains of some letters or characters cut on the stones in the interior, but so obliterated by time as to be now illegible.

RANDALSTOWN, a market and post-town (formerly a parliamentary borough), in the parish of DRUMMAUL, barony of UPPER TOOME, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 17 1/4 miles (N. W. by W.) from Belfast, and 97 1/4 (N.) from Dublin, at the junction of the mail coach roads from Coleraine and Magherafelt to Belfast; containing 618 inhabitants. This place, which is situated on the river Maine, was from that circumstance called Mainwater, and also Iron-Works, from the forges and furnaces formerly in extensive operation, and of which there are still some remains. In the war of the Revolution the town was the head-quarters of the Earl of Antrim's forces, who marched hence for the siege of Londonderry; and in the disturbances of 1793, a body of the insurgent forces attacked it, burned the market-house, and continued their devastations till the approach of Cols. Clavering and Durham, on the evening of the same day, when they retreated to Toome bridge. In 1683, Chas. II., in consideration of a fine of £200, granted to Rose, Marchioness of Antrim, the manor of Edenduffcarrick, with all its rights and privileges, and constituted the town of Iron-Works a free borough, with power to return two members to parliament, to be chosen by the majority of the inhabitants, on precept to the seneschal of the manor issued by the sheriffs of Antrim. The borough continued to return two members till the Union, when the franchise was abolished.

The town is pleasantly situated on the western bank of the river Maine, over which is a handsome bridge of nine arches, and contains 113 houses, neatly built and of pleasing appearance. The barracks for the staff of the county militia, whose head-quarters and depot are here, are well built; there is a good inn near the bridge. The chief trade is the spinning of cotton and the weaving of calico, for which there are extensive mills; in these, more than 600 persons are employed; and there is a large bleach-green. The market is on Wednesday and is abundantly supplied with wheat, flour, meal, and pork, great quantities of wheat and pork being sent to Belfast; there is also a market for linen and linen yarn on the first Wednesday in every month; and fairs are held on July 16th and Nov. 1st, chiefly for cattle and pigs. The market-house, in which are an assembly-room and rooms for holding the various courts, is a neat and well-arranged building. There is a constabulary police station in the town, and petty sessions are held on alternate Thursdays. A court baron for the manor, which is the property of Earl O'Neill, is held before the seneschal every month, at which debts not exceeding £20 are recoverable; and a court leet annually, at which a weigh-master, a market jury and constables are appointed, and some small presentments made for the repair of the court-house and other purposes. The parish church, a handsome structure in the early English style, with an octagonal spire, is situated in the town; in which are also a spacious and well-built R. C. chapel, two Presbyterian places of worship, and a dispensary. In the immediate vicinity is Shane's Castle, park, and demesne, the property, and, previously to the destruction of the mansion by an accidental fire in 1816, the residence of Earl O'Neill, which is noticed more particularly in the article on Drummaul.

RANELAGH, a village, in the parish of ST. PETER, barony of UPPERCROSS, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 1 1/2 mile (S. by E.) from the General Post-office, Dublin, on the road to Enniskerry; containing 1988 inhabitants. Here is a nunnery of the Carmelite order, with a neat chapel attached: a school for poor girls is gratuitously conducted by the nuns. In the vicinity are several avenues in which are a number of neat villas; also the extensive nursery grounds of Messrs. Toole and Co. Adjoining the village is Cullenswood, noted for a dreadful massacre by the native Irish of upwards of 500 citizens (a colony from Bristol), who on Easter-Monday, 1209, went out to divert themselves near the wood, where they were surprised and slaughtered. The day was afterwards called "Black Monday," and the place is still known by the name of the "Bloody Fields."

RAPEMILLS, a hamlet, in the parish of REYNAGH, barony of GARRYCASTLE, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S.) from Banagher, on the road to Parsonstown; containing 9 houses and 64 inhabitants. It takes its name from some rape-mills erected here.

RAPHOE, a market and post-town, a parish, and the seat of a diocese, in the barony of RAPHOE, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 5 miles (N. W.) from Lifford, and 113 3/4 (N. by W.) from Dublin, on the road from Strabane to Stranorlar; containing 6227 inhabitants, of which number, 1408 are in the town. This place, anciently called Rathboth, appears to have derived both its early and present importance from the foundation of an extensive monastery here by St. Columb, which, after its restoration by St. Adamnanus, who died in 703, continued to flourish and was soon after made the seat of a bishoprick. The town consists chiefly of three small streets branching off from a market-place of triangular form, and contains 288 houses, which are neatly built. An agricultural society has been established, which holds its meetings here. The whole of the surrounding scenery is agreeably diversified, and in the neighbourhood are some interesting views. The market is on Saturday, chiefly for meal and potatoes, and occasionally for linen yarn; besides which large markets are held on the first Saturday in Jan., Feb., March, April, and December; and fairs are held on May 1st, June 22nd, Aug. 27th, and Nov. 4th. The market-house is a neat building and well-arranged. The town is the head-quarters of the constabulary police for the county, and the residence of the sub-inspector; and petty sessions are held on alternate Saturdays. The parish, which is situated in the centre of the champaign district of the county, comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 13,224 1/2 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the land is generally of good quality and in a state of profitable cultivation. The only seat, exclusively of the Episcopal palace and Deanery, is Green Hills, the residence of W. Fenwick, Esq.

The SEE appears to have originated during the abbacy of St. Eunan, who converted the church of the monastery into a cathedral, and became the first bishop, but at what date cannot be precisely ascertained; nor is any thing more recorded of his successors prior to the English invasion than the mere names of one or two prelates, of whom the last, Aengus, died in 957. Gilbert O'Laran, who was consecrated in 1160, was a subscribing witness to a charter of confirmation granted by Maurice McLoughlin, King of Ireland, to the abbey of Newry, and is in that deed described as Bishop of Tirconnel, from the name of the territory in which the church of Raphoe is situated. During the prelacy of Carbrac O'Scoba, who succeeded in 1266, part of the diocese was forcibly taken away by German O'Cherballen, Bishop of Derry, and added to that see; and in 1360, Patrick Magonail erected episcopal palaces in three manors belonging to the see. The last R. C. bishop, previously to the Reformation, was Donat Magonail, who assisted at the Council of Trent in 1563; and the first Protestant bishop was George Montgomery, a native of Scotland, who was Dean of Norwich and Chaplain of Jas. I., and was consecrated to this see in 1605. Robert Huntington, celebrated for his extensive attainments in oriental literature and his assiduity in collecting, during 12 years residence at Aleppo, a valuable series of oriental manuscripts, of which many are in the Bodleian library at Oxford, and who had, while provost of Dublin University, been instrumental in printing the Old Testament in the Irish language, was appointed Bishop of Raphoe in 1701, but lived only 12 days after his consecration. John Pooley, who succeeded in 1702, repaired the palace and enlarged the cathedral by the addition of a north and south transept, rendering it perfectly cruciform. Since 1605 the see had been held as a separate diocese till the passing of the Church Temporalities act of the 3rd of Wm. IV., by which it was enacted that, on the next avoidance, it should be united to the see of Derry, which union, on the decease of the late W. Bisset, D. D., in 1835, was carried into effect and the temporalities became vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. It is one of the ten suffragan bishopricks that constitute the ecclesiastical province of Armagh; and comprehends the greater part of the county of Donegal, extending for 55 miles in length and 40 miles in breadth, and comprising an estimated superficies of 515,250 statute acres. The lands belonging to the see comprise 1392 acres of profitable land, consisting of the town parks; and the gross annual revenue, on an average of three years ending on Jan. 1st, 1832, amounted to £5787. 8. 2. The chapter consists of a dean, archdeacon, and the four prebendaries of Drumholm, Killymard, Inver, and Clondehorky. The consistorial court is held at Raphoe, and consists of a vicar-general, two surrogates, a registrar, deputy-registrar, and two proctors. The registrar is keeper of the records, which are of modern date; all prior to 1691 are supposed to have been destroyed when the castle was taken by Cromwell, or when it was afterwards plundered and burned by the soldiers of Jas. II. The total number of parishes is 34, of which 5 are district parishes, comprehended in 34 single benefices, of which 5 are perpetual curacies; of these, 5 are in the patronage of the Crown, 15 in that of the Bishop, 2 in the patronage of incumbents, and the remainder in lay and corporation patronage: there are 34 churches and 28 glebe-houses. The cathedral, which is also the parochial church, and to the repair of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £1005, is a plain, ancient, cruciform structure with a square tower, which was added to it by Bishop Forster in 1737, as appears by that date on a stone over the door: there is no economy fund. The Episcopal palace, formerly a strong castle, is about a quarter of a mile from the town: it is a handsome and spacious castellated building, pleasantly situated in tastefully disposed grounds. The deanery-house, which is also the glebe-house of the parish, was built in 1739, at an expense of £1680, and has been subsequently enlarged and improved from their own funds by various successive incumbents; it is pleasantly situated about a mile from the town. In the R. C. divisions the diocese is co-extensive with that of the Protestant see; it comprehends 24 benefices, containing 36 chapels, which are served by 50 clergymen, of whom 24 are parish priests, and 26 are coadjutors or curates; the bishop's parishes are Conwal and Aughnish; the cathedral is at Letterkenny where is also the bishop's residence.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Raphoe, formerly united to the rectories of Stranorlar, Leck, and Killygarvan, and the chapelry of Lettermacaward, from which, by act of council in 1835, it was separated, and now solely constitutes the corps of the deanery. The tithes amount to £900; and the glebe comprises 150 acres, valued at £150 per ann.; the other lands belonging to the deanery comprise 2701 1/2 statute acres, extending over several parishes, which, with the rents and renewal fines, produce £426. 5. 10. per ann., making the gross annual revenue of the deanery £1476. 5. 10. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, including also the parish of Conwal, in which is a chapel. There is a place of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the second class. The Royal free grammar school was founded by Chas. I., who endowed it with lands in the western part of the county, comprising from 5000 to 6000 acres, of which 1400 are profitable, and the remainder bog and mountain, producing together an annual income of £550: the school-house was rebuilt in 1737, and enlarged in 1830, and is a spacious and handsome building; attached to it is a valuable library, containing more than 3000 volumes, founded by Bishop Forster and Dr. Hall for the use of the clergy of the diocese. In this and in three other public schools, of which the parochial school is partly supported by annual donations from Col. Robertson's fund, about 280 children are taught; an infants' school and a female working school are also supported by the Dean, and there are six private schools, in which are about 200 children, and four Sunday schools. An asylum for four poor clergymen's widows was founded by Bishop Forster, who endowed it with lands now producing to each £50 per ann.; the house, which is spacious and well adapted for the purpose, was purchased by the founder during his lifetime, and is situated in the town: there is also a dispensary.

RASHARKIN, a parish, in the barony of KILCONWAY, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 2 1/2 miles (E.) from Kilrea, on the road to Ballymena; containing 7481 inhabitants. This parish, called also Rath-Arkin and Magherasharkin, lies on the border of the county of Londonderry, from which it is separated by the river Bann: it is 6 miles long and 5 broad, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 19,337 3/4 statute acres, of which a very large quantity is mountain waste land, or bog; the remainder is of a light soil, but of excellent quality for flax, potatoes, oats and clover; the system of agriculture in some parts is very good, in others the reverse. The linen manufacture is carried on to a considerable extent, the cloth being sold at Ballymena; and there are two bleach-greens, one at Dunroin, belonging to John Cunningham, Esq., in which about 34,000 webs are annually bleached; the other at Dunminning, belonging to Tho. Birnie, Esq., which bleaches about 20,000 webs, principally for the English market. These gentlemen have elegant residences attached to their respective establishments. At Killymurris is a very extensive vein of coal, chiefly of the kind called cannel, which is very productive, though by no means skilfully wrought: there are some quarries of basalt, from which the stone is raised for building and road-making. The Bann is navigable from Lough Neagh to Portna, where there is a convenient wharf, at which considerable business is done at times. A fair for cattle and pedlery is held annually in the village of Rasharkin, which is also a chief constabulary police station. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Connor, united by charter of. Jas. I. to the rectories of Finvoy and Kilraghts and Kildallock grange, which together form the corps of the prebend of Rasharkin in the cathedral of Connor, and in the patronage of the Bishop. The rectory is impropriate; one portion of the rectorial tithes, amounting to £55. 15. 8., belongs to Robert Harvey, Esq.; two other portions, amounting to £101. 16. 8., belong, one moiety to Sir Tho. Staples, Bart., and the other to Edw. Caulfield, Esq.; the residue, amounting to £46. 3. 1., has been appropriated to the use of Castle-Dawson chapelry; the total of the rectorial tithes is £203. 15. 5. The vicarial tithes payable to the incumbent are £222. 7., and the aggregate value of the union, including the glebe, is £811. 17. per annum. The parishes of Rasharkin and Finvoy are held with cure of souls, those of Kilraghts and Kildallock without cure. The glebe-house, having been found by the present incumbent in a dilapidated and uninhabitable state on his admission to the benefice, has been put into complete repair by him, at an expense of £3692, without having any demand on his successor for the repayment of any portion thereof: the glebe consists of 50a. 0r. 34 1/2p. statute measure, valued at 18s. 6d. per acre. The church is a small but very beautiful edifice on a commanding situation. In the R. C. divisions the parish is united with that of Finvoy; both have chapels: that of Rasharkin is in the village, in which there are also two places of worship for Presbyterians. A parochial school is chiefly supported by the rector: at Dromore are two schools under the direction of the Rev. Mr. Wilson; a male and female school at Dunminny were built and are supported, the former by Mr. Birnie and the latter by Miss Birnie; a school at Glenback is in connection with the Board of National Education, another is in connection with the London Hibernian Society, and there are two others, aided by grants from individuals. In these schools about 130 boys and 120 girls are instructed: besides whom, 418 boys and 160 girls are educated in 13 private schools: there are also 8 Sunday schools. There are several raths in the parish: one of these, at Lisnacannon, is of very large dimensions; it has two fosses and three ramparts, and covers nearly an acre and a half of ground. Several silver coins, of the reigns of Stephen, John and Rich. III., and of Robert and David Bruce, were found here; and an artificial cavern was discovered near the church. The body of a man who had committed suicide in 1776, and had been buried in a bog in the mountain, was found in 1827, without the smallest signs of decomposition.

RASHEE, a parish, in the barony of UPPER ANTRIM, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 2 miles (N. W.) from Ballyclare, on the road from Larne to Broughshane: the population is returned with the parish of Ballyeaston. This parish comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 6460 1/2 statute acres. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Connor, one portion of it forming part of the union and corps of the prebend of Carncastle, and the remainder constituting part of the perpetual cure of Ballyeaston.--See BALLYEASTON and CARNCASTLE.

RATAINE, or RATHYNE, a parish, in the barony of LOWER NAVAN, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (N. E.) from Trim, on the road from Bective-Bridge to Athboy; containing 370 inhabitants, and comprising 1576 statute acres of profitable land. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the union of Ardbraccan, and subject to a crown rent of £6 per ann.: the tithes amount to £121. 13. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Dunderry.

RATASS, or RATHASS, a parish, in the barony of TRUGHENACKMY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 1 1/2 mile (E.) from Tralee, on the high road to Killarney; containing 2365 inhabitants. The castle of Ballybeggan, in this parish, formerly a place of considerable strength belonging to the Desmonds, and a noted pass between Tralee and Castle Island, was the only fortress in the county that in 1641 held out against the Irish forces, and it resisted every assault until relieved, in 1643, by Lord Inchiquin's forces: during the war of the Revolution it was burnt by the Irish. The parish comprises 4236 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, partly in tillage. The limestone strata of this district contain several caverns lined with stalactites, through which a subterraneous stream takes its course; very good marble has been obtained, and many years since a vein of lead ore was discovered near the church. The county gaol, the infantry barracks, Messrs. Newell and Grant's distillery and Mr. Bender's brewery are situated at Ballymullen, and together with a considerable portion of the parish, are within the limits of the borough of Tralee, under which head they are noticed. Several neat houses have been built in this suburb, and it is probable that in the course of a few years the buildings will be extended to the town, about a quarter of a mile distant. The parish is in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, and is a rectory, forming part of the union and corps of the deanery of Ardfert: the tithes amount to £336. 18. 5 1/2. The Protestant inhabitants attend the church at Tralee. In the R. C. divisions it is partly in the union or district of Ballymacelligott, but chiefly in that of Tralee. About 110 children are educated in three private schools. The ivied ruins of the old church stand in the burial-ground adjoining the high road; the ruins of Ballybeggan castle before mentioned still exist, and at Ballymullen are some remains of another castle of the Desmonds.

RATH, a parish, in the barony of INCHIQUIN, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 5 3/4 miles (N. W.) from Ennis, on the road to Ennistymon; containing 2521 inhabitants. It comprises about 5000 statute acres, as rated for the county cess, which estimate was taken as the basis for the tithe composition; a considerable portion consists of coarse pasture, and the remainder of good arable land. The parish extends to the bridge at Corofin, and comprises portions of the lakes of Inchiquin and Tadane, noticed in the article on Kilneboy: at Riverston is a chief station of the constabulary police. The seats are Adelphi, the residence of F. and W. Fitzgerald, Esqrs.; Clifden, of E. Burton, Esq.; Roxton, of T. Blood, Esq.; Applevale, of G. Davis, Esq.; Willbrook, of W. A. Brewe, Esq.; and Riverston, of Jonas Studdert, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe; the rectory was united in 1803 to that of Dysert, together constituting the corps of the prebend of Rath, in the patronage of the Marquess of Thomond; and the vicarage forms part of the union and corps of the prebend of Dysert. Of the tithes, amounting to £76. 15. 0 1/2., two-thirds are payable to the prebendary, and the remainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Corofin; the chapel, a small plain building, is at Liscullane. About 30 children are taught in a school at Knockmacart, chiefly supported by Mr. Blood and Mr. Synge, and about 70 in a school held in the chapel. The ruins of the ancient church stand near the margin of a small lake; near them are those of the castle of Rath, and in the vicinity, those of a castle called O'Nial's Court, formerly the residence of the chieftains of that family. A large monumental stone near the castle records its destruction, and that of part of the family, by lightning. The ruins of Tier Mac Bran castle are situated near the shore of Inchiquin lake.

RATH, a village, in the parish of DRUMCULLIN, barony of EGLISH, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (W.) from Frankford, on the road to Parsonstown: the population is returned with the parish. Here is a R. C. chapel belonging to the union or district of Eglish.

RATHANGAN, a market and post-town, and a parish, partly in the barony of EAST OPHALY, but chiefly in that of WEST OPHALY, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 14 3/4 miles (W.) from Naas, and 30 (S. W. by W.) from Dublin, on the road from Kildare to Edenderry; containing 2911 inhabitants, of which number, 1165 are in the town, which is entirely in the barony of West Ophaly, and near the Grand Canal, and in 1831 contained 215 houses. It is a chief station of the constabulary police, and has a market on Monday, and fairs in June, and on Aug. 26th and Nov. 12th. The parish comprises 8872 statute acres, as applotted tinder the tithe act: the principal seat within its limits is Tottenham Green, that of Geo. Tottenham, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, being the corps of the prebend of Rathangan in the cathedral of Kildare, and in the patronage of the Duke of Leinster and the Bishop, of whom the former has the right of presentation for two turns and the latter for one: the tithes amount to £553. 16. 11. The glebe-house was erected in 1810, by aid of a loan of £625 and a gift of £100 from the late Board of First Fruits; and there is a glebe comprising 29a. 2r. 26p. The church is a neat edifice with a handsome tower; the whole is in excellent order. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Kildare. The chapel is a spacious building: there is also a meeting-house for the Society of Friends. In a school under the National Board, and one supported by Lord Harberton, about 200 children are educated; and there are three private schools, in which are about 120 children. There is a dispensary in the town, supported in the usual manner.

RATHASPECK, a parish, partly in the barony of BALLYADAMS, but chiefly in that of SLIEVEMARIGUE, QUEEN'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (N. E.) from Castlecomer, on the road to Athy; containing 4032 inhabitants. This place derives its name, which signifies "the Bishop's Fort," from a rath near the old church. Here was anciently a small religious establishment, probably a cell to that on the townland of Clonpierce, about two miles distant: the foundation of both is attributed to the O'Mores. The parish is bounded on the south and south-west by the county of Kilkenny, and contains 8097 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. Here are the extensive coal mines of Doonane, worked by a company; they are drained by a steam engine, and supply stone coal to all parts of the surrounding country, which is principally conveyed by carriers. There are about five other works in the same range: the shafts are first sunk through clay, then succeeds a hard green rock, and next slaty strata, in contact with which is the coal: it is worked on either side by regular gangs, each member having a specific duty; the number of each gang is about thirty, and when the pit is double worked there are sixty; each crew works ten hours, but they are particularly observant of every kind of holiday. Gracefield is the seat of Mrs. Kavanagh; Corbally House, of the Rev. W. Pasley; and Inch, of W.Conner, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Leighlin, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £300. The church was built, in 1814, by aid of a gift of £220 from the late Board of First Fruits, and for its repair the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £253. In the R. C. divisions the parish is partly in the union or district of Mayo and Doonane, and partly in that of Ballyadams; it contains two chapels, one at Doonane, and the other at Wolfhill belonging to the union of Ballyadams. The parochial school, at Mullaghmore, is supported by £23 per annum from the incumbent; and there is a school at Gracefield, supported by Mrs. Kavanagh. In five private schools about 200 boys and 130 girls are taught; and there are two Sunday schools. The present church of Rathaspeck was erected out of the ruins of the ancient religious buildings, under the site of which there were formerly three vaulted chambers, in one of which was a well of the purest water. A tract of about 4 acres, contiguous to the church, has long been remarkable for the quantity of human bones found in it, which circumstance is traditionally accounted for by the ravages of a plague. About a quarter of a mile north of the church is Miltown castle, or Ballyvuilling, consisting of a square tower and some other remains of a fortified mansion of unknown antiquity, with a modern dwelling-house annexed: the surrounding fosses are now occupied by stagnant fish-ponds. Numerous relics of antiquity have been found, including ancient Anglo-Irish coins, a short sword of brass, and a brooch; and at Miltown castle spear-heads and other curiosities have been discovered.

RATHASPECK, a parish, in the barony of FORTH, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (S. by W.) from Wexford; containing 626 inhabitants. It is situated between Forth Mountain and Wexford haven, and comprises 2401 statute acres of good land, which, from the great encouragement afforded by the proprietor, is in an excellent state of cultivation: marl abounds in the parish, and limestone for agricultural purposes is obtained from the adjoining parish of Rathmacknee. Johnstown Castle, the noble mansion of Hamilton Knox Grogan Morgan, Esq., the principal proprietor of the surrounding district, was occupied for one night by Oliver Cromwell, who on the following morning reviewed his troops in the demesne preparatory to his attack on Wexford. The present house has been greatly enlarged and embellished in the Gothic style, and the extensive demesne has been much improved and laid out with great taste. At the village of Rathaspeck is a station of the constabulary police. The parish is in the diocese of Ferns, and is a rectory, forming part of the union of St. Patrick's, Wexford: the tithes, amount to £120. 9. 8., and there are two glebes, comprising 8 1/4 acres. The church, which is a neat plain building, is still considered the mother church of the union, and the incumbent is consequently first inducted there: it was rebuilt in 1823, at an expense of about £900, aided by a grant from the late Board of First Fruits. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Piercestown. On the demesne of Johnstown Castle is a very handsome school-house, in the rustic style, built by Mr. Morgan, at an expense exceeding £300: the school is entirely supported by Mrs. Morgan; in addition to the usual course of education, the boys are taught the elements of surveying and navigation, and such as distinguish themselves are intended to be placed by their patrons in suitable situations. At a short distance from Johnstown Castle, with which the remains of the ancient edifice are incorporated, and in that part of the demesne which extends into the adjoining parish of Kildavin, are the ruins of Rathlannan castle. Tradition states that these castles were at one period occupied by two sisters. On the townland of White-stone formerly stood the castle of that name, of which not a vestige can be traced; about 50 years since, several articles of gold and silver plate and other articles of value were found near its site, supposed to have been hidden there during the civil war of the 17th century.

RATHASPICK, a parish, in the barony of MOYGOISH, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, on the mail coach road from Dublin to Sligo; containing, with the market and post-town of Rathowen (which is separately described), 2170 inhabitants. This parish is bounded on the west by Lough Glynn, and on the south and east by the river Inny. It comprises 4542 statute acres, exclusively of a considerable portion of bog: the land is good for pasture and tillage, and the system of agriculture is improving. Limestone abounds, for which there are quarries, and there is also abundance of limestone gravel and marl. Petty sessions and fairs are held at Rathowen. A bridge of 12 arches crosses the Inny at Ballicorkey, which river here separates the dioceses of Ardagh and Meath. Newpass is the property of Sir George R. Fetherston, Bart; Ardglass, the residence of Major A. P. Bond; Rockfield, of M. Crawford, Esq.; Ardglass Cottage, of J. Atkinson, Esq.; and Newpark, of J. A'Hmuty, Esq. The living is an impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Ardagh, and in the patronage of Sir J. Bennett Piers, Bart., in whom the rectory is impropriate. The tithes amount to £128. 5., entirely payable to the impropriator: the curate's stipend is £92. 6. 7 1/2., of which £83. 2. is derived from Primate Boulter's augmentation fund, and £9. 4. 7 1/2. is allowed by the impropriator; he has also the glebe, comprising nine acres, valued at £18 per ann. and subject to a rent of £8. 11. 8. The glebe-house was built, in 1817, at a cost of £461. 10. 9 1/4., of which £415. 7. 8 1/4. was a gift, and the remainder a loan, from the late Board of First Fruits. The church is a neat structure, with a square tower, built in 1814 by aid of a gift of £800, and enlarged in 1821 by a loan of £200 from the same Board. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Russagh, and contains a chapel. About 90 children are taught in two schools aided by private subscriptions; one of which is under the patronage of M. Crawford, Esq., who gives the house and half an acre of land; and in two private schools are about 70 children; there is also a Sunday school. There are ruins of two castles; a curious rath; and remains of the conventual church of Kilmocahill, or Kilmichael, a monastery founded by the Petyt family, the possessions of which were given to Robert Nangle at the dissolution. There are several mineral springs.

RATHBARRY, a parish, in the barony of IBANE and BARRYROE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (W. S. W.) from Clonakilty, on the road from Cork to Skibbereen; containing 2748 inhabitants. This place, which is situated on the southern coast, derives its name from an ancient fort, of which there are still some picturesque remains in Lord Carbery's demesne. This fortress, anciently called Rathbarry, now Castle Freke, was erected in the 15th century by Randal Oge Barry, and in 1602 was surrendered to Capt. Harvey for Queen Elizabeth, according to the treaty of Kinsale, and was retained by the English till the breaking out of the war in 1641. Soon after the commencement of hostilities, it was besieged by the insurgents, but was resolutely defended by its proprietor, Arthur Freke, Esq., who maintained it against all their attacks from the 14th of February till the 18th of October, when it was relieved by Sir Chas. Vavasour and Capt. Jephson, who conducted the owner and his garrison in safety to Bandon and set fire to the castle, to prevent its being occupied by the enemy. The insurgents, nevertheless, took the castle of Dundedy, which they kept till the spring of the year 1643, when they also obtained possession of the remains of Castle Freke; but in July they were driven from this place by Col. Myn, who restored the castle and placed in it a garrison which retained possession till the arrival of Cromwell. The parish comprises 4189 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the surface is very uneven, and towards the sea the land is cold and the soil sandy; but in the centre of the parish and around Miltown, more fertile. The vale in which Miltown is situated is very beautiful and in many parts has been richly planted by Lord Carbery and the incumbent. Castle Freke, the seat of Lord Carbery, a handsome castellated mansion, erected near the site of the old fortress of Rathbarry, is beautifully situated in a richly improved demesne, comprising 1000 acres, embellished with fine timber and thriving plantations, and with a beautiful and picturesque lake. Kilkerran House, the residence of M. Galway, Esq., in the grounds of which is also a fine lake, is also in the parish. Near the south-eastern extremity of the parish is the Red Strand, where great quantities of calcareous sand are obtained for manure. This sand is a formation from the debris or very minute shells, among which some small cornua ammonis may be seen in nearly a perfect state: it was some years since analysed and found to contain 79 parts in 100 of calcareous matter. It is a curious fact that this sand is confined to a narrow strand, about 1/2 an English mile wide, bounded at each end by high cliffs; and though other inlets and strands are near it on either side, their sands do not exhibit any calcareous matter but are all composed of silex and argil. The Red Strand sand is carried 16 English miles into the interior for manure; at that distance 20 bags, each containing about 3 cwt., are considered sufficient to manure a statute acre; at three miles distance from the Strand from 80 to 120 bags are laid on. More than 1000 horses and carts may be reckoned at the Strand in one day. This sand is esteemed the best on the southern coast, except the Bantry sand, as it is called, which is a distinct coral formation, a perfect calcareous mass. To the east of Galley Head, on the southern coast of the parish, are the Doolie rocks. Fairs are held at New Mill on March 25th, June 29th, and Sept. 29th, under a patent obtained by the lord of the manor; and a constabulary police force is stationed at Miltown, for which a barrack has been lately erected.

The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ross, and in the patronage of the Rev. H. Stewart; the rectory is partly appropriate to the dean and chapter of Ross, and partly impropriate in M. Roberts and J. W. Foote, Esqrs. The tithes amount to £411. 19. 10., of which £63. 7. 11 is payable to the appropriators, £174. 2. 10. to the impropriators, and £174. 9. 2. to the vicar. The glebe-house, an elegant villa embosomed in thriving plantations, was erected by the Rev. H. Stewart, the present incumbent, in 1831; the glebe comprises 5 1/2 acres, of which two only belong to the vicar. The church, a handsome and spacious structure in the later English style, with a square tower, was erected in 1825, at an expense of £1900, of which £900 was a gift from the late Board of First Fruits, and the remainder was defrayed by Lord Carbery; it is finely situated in the demesne of Castle Freke. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union of Ardfield; the chapel near Miltown is a neat edifice, with a fine altar-piece. About 160 children are taught in two public schools, of which the male and female parochial school is supported chiefly by Lord Carbery and the incumbent; a very handsome school-house, with apartments for the master and mistress, has been erected by his lordship at his own expense; there is also a Sunday school. On Galley Head, often mistaken for the old head of Kinsale, are the ruins of Dundedy castle; and on the eastern side of Redstrand are the ruins of the castle of Dunowen. The ploughland of Gahanave, comprising about 200 acres, from which the chancellor of the diocese derives his income, is in this parish.

RATHBEAGH, a parish, in the barony of CRANAGH, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (N. E.) from Freshford, on the upper road from Kilkenny to Ballyragget; containing 736 inhabitants. This place, which is situated on the river Nore, is supposed to be the ancient Argiodross, and the residence of Heremon, one of the sons of Milesius, who came into Ireland and laid the foundation of the Milesian dynasty in that kingdom. The parish comprises 2281 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, which are mostly in a state of profitable cultivation. The ancient manor-house of Clone, formerly the residence of Sir Toby Caulfeild, ancestor of the Earl of Charlemont, and now in the occupation of H. Nixon, Esq., is within the parish. Fairs are held on the 1st of May and November, and Dec. 6th, chiefly for stock, and are well attended; a constabulary police force is stationed here. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Ossory, forming part of the union of Freshford, or Aghour; the tithes amount to £215. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union of Lisdowney. About 220 children are taught in a school at Clone, in connection with the New Board, of Education. On the bank of the river Nore, at this place, is a mount 40 yards in length and 25 in breadth on the summit, and encircled by a double fosse.

RATHBEGGAN, a parish, in the barony of RATOATH, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S. by E.) from Dunshaughlin, on the mail road from Dublin to Enniskillen; containing 282 inhabitants. It comprises 2901 1/4 statute acres of arable and pasture land of good quality, of which the proportions are nearly equal, and it contains some quarries of building stone. Rathbeggan House is the seat of John Standish, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the Marquess of Drogheda, in whom the rectory is impropriate: the tithes amount to £161. 18. 9., of which £18. 9. 2. is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar; the glebe, comprising 7 1/2 acres, is valued at £15 per annum. The glebe-house was built in 1817, by aid of a gift of £450, and a loan of £100, from the late Board of First Fruits. The church is a neat modern edifice, towards the erection of which the same Board gave £800, in 1817. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Ratoath.

RATHBIN.--See BURNCHURCH.

RATHBOURNEY, a parish, in the barony of BURREN, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 8 1/2 miles (W. S. W.) from Burren, on the road to Ennistymon; containing 848 inhabitants. It comprises 9440 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, a large portion of which consists of rocky mountain pasture, affording a rich though scanty herbage: there is also a portion of bog. The principal residence is Gregans, that of Fras. Martin, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Kilfenora, forming part of the union of Dromcrehy and corps of the treasurership of Kilfenora: the tithes amount to £100. The church of the union, a small plain building without a tower, erected about 40 years since, is within the limits of the parish. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of the union or district of Glyn or Glenarragha, comprising also the parishes of Dromcrehy, Glaninagh, and Killonoghan. The chapel at Glenarragha was originally built by the late Marquess of Buckingham, and has been recently much enlarged. A glebe of 40 acres is allotted for the use of the parish priest, subject to a rent of £20 per annum; about 60 children are educated in a private school. At Gregans, on the border of the parish, are the ruins of the castle of that name.

RATHBOYNE, a parish, partly in the barony of LOWER NAVAN, but chiefly in that of UPPER KELLS, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (S. by E.) from Kells, on the road to Kilcock, and from Longford to Drogheda;. containing 1271 inhabitants. It comprises 3920 3/4 statute acres, nearly equally under grass and tillage; there is plenty of limestone. Ballybeg is the seat of T. O'Reilly, Esq.; and Charlesfort, of C. A. Tisdall, Esq. Mr. O'Reilly has a nursery of 100 statute acres, affording employment to about 80 persons. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the union of Kells: the tithes amount to £276. 18. 5 1/2. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Ardbraccan; the chapel at Cortown is a handsome modern building, with a school contiguous. At Charlesfort is a school, the master of which is allowed £15 per ann., with a house and garden, and two tons of coal yearly, by C. A. Tisdall, Esq.; in these schools about 110 children are taught.

RATHBRAN.--See STRATFORD-on-SLANEY.

RATHCAHILL.--See MONEYGAY.

RATHCAVAN.--See RACAVAN.

RATHCLARIN, a parish, in the Eastern Division of the barony of EAST CARBERY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 4 1/2 miles (S. by E.) from Bandon; containing 2775 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the northern shore of Court McSherry bay and intersected by the small river Arigideen, which here falls into the bay, comprises about 5800 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £3500 per annum. The land is in general good and under a profitable system of cultivation, producing abundant crops, of which the principal are wheat and potatoes; but, on the south side of the parish, several large fields have been covered with sand drifted from a small inlet, and rendered utterly unavailable for agricultural operations; the hedge-rows and fences have disappeared, and the deposits are progressively increasing. The principal seats are Gortnahorna, the residence of J. M. Sealy, Esq.; Glenville, of R. B. Robinson, Esq.; Maryborough, of Major Broderick; Gortaglana, of Major M. Scott; Ballycallen Demesne, of H. Harris, Esq.; Ballycallen, of J. Harris, Esq.; Rathclarin Rectory, of the Rev. Thos. Waggett; and in the immediate vicinity of Kilbritain, Flaxfort, of the Rev. R. Taylor, P. P.; Riversdale House, of T. Bailey, Esq.; the residence of Francis Stowell, Esq.; and Harbourview, the bathing-lodge of J. Bowen, Esq., who has also built several neat cottages for the accommodation of visiters during the bathing season. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cork, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £650. The glebe-house, towards which the late Board of First Fruits contributed a gift of £100, is a very handsome residence; the glebe comprises 22 acres. The church is a small but very neat edifice, nearly in the centre of the parish, and was modernised and thoroughly repaired in 1835, at an expense of £314, defrayed by a grant from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union, comprising also that of Kilbritain, and parts of the parishes of Ringrone and Ballymodan: the chapel, a large and neat edifice, is at Kilbritain. About 280 children are taught in four public schools, of which the parochial male school is supported by the rector and the Association for Discountenancing Vice; and the female school by Mr. Seely, who, in 1836, erected a very handsome school-house; there are also two private schools, in which are about 180 children, and a Sunday school. Near the church is a holy well covered over by a small building; and about two miles to the north-west are the ruins of the very ancient church of Cloundereen, supposed to have been founded by the Knights Templars in 1296.

RATHCLINE, or RATHLINE, a parish, in the barony of RATHCLINE, county of LONGFORD, and province of LEINSTER; containing, with the greater portion of the market and post-town of Lanesborough, 3036 inhabitants. This place is situated on the bank of the river Shannon, and was distinguished for its castle at the base of the hill of Rathcline, about a mile from Lanesborough, said to have been originally built by the family of O'Quin, and to have been an object of frequent contention in the various internal wars of the country. After numerous vicissitudes it was dismantled by Cromwell's forces, and finally destroyed by fire in the war of the Revolution; there are still considerable remains, which from their fine situation on the margin of the Shannon have a very picturesque appearance. The parish comprises 8099 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the land is of indifferent quality; not more than one-third is under tillage, the remainder is in pasture; the surface is tolerably level, and there is a considerable tract of bog, in which are found oak and fir trees, which are used by the poor in roofing their houses. Limestone abounds and is quarried for building and for agricultural uses, and a speckled black and white marble is also found and made into mantel-pieces. The chief seats are Rathcline, the residence of L. White, Esq.; Clonbonney, of G. Davys, Esq.; and Mount Davis, of the Misses Davis. The weaving of linen is carried on in several parts of the parish, and great quantities of frieze are also made; there is a considerable trade in corn and eggs, for which the Shannon affords every facility. A very large fair for horses, cattle, and sheep is held on the 12th of February at Lanes-borough. Within the limits of the parish is the small island of Inchenough, or Inchiana, comprising about 50 acres of land, with 6 houses and 35 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ardagh, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in R. C. and R. Armstrong, Esqrs. The tithes amount to £393. 10., of which £262. 6. 8. is payable to the impropriators, and £131. 3. 4. to the vicar; the glebe comprises 30 acres, valued at £45 per annum. The church, a spacious edifice, was erected at the expense of the Lanesborough family, in 1678, on part of the site of the ancient church in Lanesborough, which was called the abbey and is said to have been built by St. Patrick in the 4th century. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church: the chapel is large and has a tower at the west end; a small house is also appropriated as a chapel of ease. There are five private schools, in which are about 300 children. Near the ruins of the castle are those of the ancient church, said to have been destroyed from the opposite bank of the Shannon; part of the steeple is yet standing, and the cemetery is still used by the Roman Catholics. In one of the walls of the castle was a marble tablet with a very ancient inscription in the Irish character; from the hill at the base of which these ruins are situated is a very extensive and interesting view.

RATHCONNELL, or TURIN, a parish, in the barony of MOYASHEL, and MAGHERADERNAN, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (E. N. E.) from Mullingar, on the road to Castletown-Delvin, and near Lough Hoyle; containing 2946 inhabitants. Between two tracts of land of a moory nature, at this place, was a celebrated pass, noted in the Irish annals for the defeat of the Irish army under Gen. Preston by the retreating forces of Sir Richard Grenville, accompanied by the famished garrison of Athlone and the Protestant inhabitants: the pass had been fortified to intercept their retreat, and was bravely defended; but the English horse, unexpectedly finding themselves able to pass the moory ground contiguous, changed the fortune of the day, and the victory was complete. This parish contains 12,440 statute acres, according to the county assessment under an improving state of agriculture; much of it is fine grazing land, and the arable produces good crops of corn and potatoes: there are about 400 acres of bog, with some limestone and black stone. Petty sessions are held on alternate Tuesdays at Knockdrin. In the parish are several fine seats, among which are Knockdrin Castle, the handsome residence of Sir Richard Levinge, Bart.; the house, which is castellated and of Gothic architecture is situated in a fine demesne adorned with an extensive lake, and including the high hill of Knockdrin, crowned by a large rath, and covered with plantations. Clonlost is the ancient family seat of J. Nugent, Esq.; Reynella, the elegant residence of the late R. M. Reynell, Esq., now the property of a minor, situated in a fine demesne, adorned with a lake and extensive plantations; Cooksborough, the fine mansion of the Cooke family; Killymon, the residence of R. N. Reynell, Esq.; Rathconnel, of J. Adamson, Esq.; and the glebe-house, of the Rev. R. Crone. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the Marquess of Drogheda; the rectory is impropriate in Nicholas Ogle, of Dysart, Esq. The tithes amount to £369. 4. 7., half of which is payable to the impropriator, and half to the vicar. The glebe comprises 23 acres, valued at £31. 18. 11. per ann., and subject to a rent of equal amount: the glebe-house was built at an expense of £738, defrayed partly by a gift of £369 and a loan of £214 from the late Board of First Fruits, and the residue by the incumbent. The church is a neat building with a tower and spire, in complete repair, erected in 1798 at an expense of £831, of which £461 was a gift, and the residue a loan, from the same Board. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, also called Turin, comprising this parish and those of Taghmon, Stonehall, and Tyfernon, in which union are two chapels; that of Rathconnell, at Turin, is a modern building. The parochial school, at Kuockdrin, has been endowed by Sir R. Levinge, Bart., with a house which cost £350, and an acre and a half of land; about 10 children are educated in it. A school at Reynella was built at a cost of £200; and there is a private school, in which are 50 children. At Turin is a dispensary. In the northern extremity of the parish is a ruined church, and at Rathconnel is also another fine ruin of a church: here are several raths.

RATHCONRATH, a parish, in the barony of RATHCONRATH, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 3 1/2 miles (S.) from Ballynacargy, on the road from Dublin by Mullingar to Athlone; containing 2862 inhabitants, of which number, 235 are in the village. A tumultuous body of insurgents assembled in Sept. 1798, at the hill of Skeagh, in this parish, but they afterwards dispersed, excepting a party that took post at Wilson's Hospital, and were there encountered by the soldiery. The parish comprises 7563 statute acres; the land is of good quality; there is very little waste; about one-fourth is arable, and the remainder good pasture. The common substratum is limestone and black flag-stone: there are quarries of the former in almost all parts of the parish, and from one on the lands of Mount D'Alton the stones for the chambers of the locks on the Royal Canal have been taken, as well as for the bridges, for a considerable distance. Great facility is afforded for inland navigation by the Royal Canal, which passes near the northern and eastern boundaries of the parish. A patent exists for four fairs, which are not held. At Meares Court and Ballinacarra are corn-mills. On the road to Ballymore are two remarkable rocks, called the Cat and the Mouse; and close to them is a spring, called the Swallow, the waters of which immediately commence a subterraneous course of one mile. In the parish are the two hills of Rathconrath and Skeagh, and the small lake of Ballinacarra. In the village is a constabulary police station. On the banks of a fine sheet of water stands Mount D'Alton, formerly the residence of the ancient family of D'Alton, who were lords of Rathconrath, and now counts of the Holy Roman Empire: the house, which is now the residence of O. W. C. Begg, Esq., was built in 1784 by Count Richard D'Alton, a distinguished officer in the Austrian service; at the rear is a pyramidal monument, thirty feet high, erected by this gentleman and his brother, Gen. J. D'Alton, in honour of the Empress Maria Theresa, the Emperor Joseph II., and King George III. On three sides it is adorned with their profiles in white marble, and on the fourth with the arms of the family and a suitable inscription. Meares Court is the seat of J. Devenish Meares, Esq.; Glencarry, of R. H. Kelly, Esq.; Rathcaslin, of T. Banon, Esq.; Irishtown, of J. Banon, Esq.; and Oldtown, of E. Banon, Esq.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the Earl of Lanesborough; the tithes amount to £267. The glebe-house was built in 1818, at an expense of £1569 British, of which £323 was a gift, and £415 a loan, from the late Board of First Fruits, the residue having been supplied by the incumbent. The glebe comprises 24a. 0r. 14p., valued at £27. 14. per annum. The church was built in 1809. nearly on the site of the ancient church, at an expense of £738 British, which was a gift from the before-mentioned Board. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, also called Miltown, comprising this parish and those of Moranstown and Kilmacnevin; and containing two chapels, of which that at Miltown was originally built at the expense of Christopher, Count D'Alton, who endowed it with one acre of land; it is in the presentation of O. W. C. Begg, Esq., of Mount D'Alton. The other chapel is at Empor, in Kilmacnevin. About 230 children are educated in two public schools, of which one in the village is entirely supported by the rector; the other at Miltown is a national school: and there are two private schools, in which are about 117 children. Ruins exist of the old church: at Washford are the remains of an ancient monastic institution: the old castles of Loghan, or Mount D'Alton, Corkan, and Miltown, are in existence; adjoining the former is a cave, in which teeth and bones of gigantic size were found in 1780. Scattered over the parish are many raths, some of them very large, and one, in particular, is a fine specimen of this species of fortification, having circumvallations and other works. At Mount D'Alton were born Gens. James D'Alton and Richard, Count D'Alton, Knight of the military order of Maria Theresa, and Governor of the Austrian Netherlands in the reign of the Emperor Joseph II. of Germany, to whom he was Chamberlain and a Privy Counsellor; he died at Treves in 1790, on his route from Brussels to Vienna.

RATHCOOL, a parish, in the barony of GOWRAN, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (N. N. E.) from Kilkenny; containing 1225 inhabitants, and comprising 5110 1/2 statute acres. Within its limits is Sandsford's Court, the property of Michael Warren, Esq.; and at Johnswell is a station of the constabulary police. The living is a vicarage, united to that of Kilkyran, and in the gift of the Dean and Chapter, to whom the rectory is appropriate: the tithes of the united parishes amount to £330, of which £220 is payable to the appropriators, and the remainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of St. John's; the chapel is at Johnswell, where there is also a school of about 100 children, under the patronage of Mr. Warren.

RATHCOOL, a parish, in the barony of MIDDLETHIRD, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 1 1/4 mile (N. W.) from Fethard; containing 1611 inhabitants. It comprises 5759 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; of the land, which is of superior quality, about two-thirds are in tillage, and the remainder, with the exception of about 150 acres of woodland, in pasture. There are several handsome seats, of which the principal are Derrylusker, that of Mrs. Palliser; Ardsalla, of Lieut.-Col. Geo. Gough; Annsgift, of Major Gough; Rocklow, of Benj. Frend, Esq.; and Coolmore, of M. Villiers Sankey, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, forming part of the union of Fethard: the tithes amount to £365. About 20 children are educated in a private school. There are some remains of the castle of Slanestown, and near the demesne of Rocklow is a large moat or rath.

RATHCOOLE, a post-town and parish, in the barony of UPPERCROSS, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 8 miles (S. W.) from Dublin, on the road to Naas; containing 1409 inhabitants, of which number, 602 are in the town. This place, anciently called "Radcull," appears from various records to have been incorporated prior to the time of Hen. III., and to have had burgesses. In the 24th of that reign (1240), it is recorded that "Lucas, Archbishop of Dublin, grants to the burgesses of Radcull common of pasture and turbary in the mountain of Slescol with his men of Newcastle near Lyons, at 4s. per annum." The town, which is about a quarter of a mile in length, contains 112 houses irregularly built, and has a patent for holding fairs on April 23rd, June 18th, and Oct. 9th, but these fairs have not been held for some years. It is the head station of the constabulary police for the district of Uppercross, and the residence of the chief constable. The parish comprises 4005 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the land is fertile, and generally under profitable cultivation; about 600 acres of common were enclosed in 1818. To the west of the town is a range of heights branching off from the chain of hills on the confines of the county of Wicklow, in a north-western direction, comprising the hills of Rathcoole, Windmill, Athgoe and Lyons, the formation of which is generally clay-slate loose and conglomerate, and grauwacke slate, with occasional alternations of granite, and some red conglomerate sandstone. The principal seat is Johnstown, the handsome residence of J. Kennedy, Esq., in a tastefully disposed and well-cultivated demesne of 200 acres. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin, united to the rectory and vicarage of Calliaghstown, and in the patronage of the Archbishop; the rectory forms part of the corps of the deanery of St. Patrick's, Dublin. The tithes amount to £310, of which £60 is payable to the dean, and the remainder to the vicar; the glebe-house is a good residence, and the glebe comprises 15 acres, of which 6 were allotted from the common on its enclosure in 1818. The church, for the repair of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £111, is a neat plain edifice. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union of Saggard. A school, in which are about 70 children, is supported by J. D. La Touche, Esq., and there is a private school of about 40 children, also a dispensary. A school was endowed here for 50 Protestant girls by the late Mrs. Mary Mercer, which was removed some years since to the parish of Castleknock. This place formerly gave the title of Viscount to the family of Tracey, to which James Tracey, Esq., of Geashill, in King's county, is at present prosecuting his claim before the House of Lords.

RATHCOONEY, a parish, in the North Liberties of the county of the city of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (E. N. E.) from Cork, on the mail coach road to Dublin; containing, with the village of Glanmire and part of Riverstown, 2988 inhabitants. In 1716 a battle was fought at Lower Glanmire, in this parish, between a regiment that had turned out for arrears of pay and posted themselves in the village, and a regiment which was brought up from Cove with two pieces of cannon to reduce the former to submission, which, after an obstinate conflict, they effected, when three of the ringleaders were shot by sentence of a court martial. The parish, which is bounded on the east and northeast by the river Glanmire, and on the south by the estuary of the Lee, comprises 4982 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and chiefly under tillage. The soil is light and shallow on the hills, but richer on the lower grounds; the system of agriculture is improving; there is very little waste land, and scarcely any bog. Sea-weed and sand, which are obtained with facility, are the principal manures, and the crops are in general of good quality. There are numerous gentlemen's seats and good houses in the immediate vicinity of the village of Glanmire, under which head they are noticed. The woollen manufacture was established here in 1822, by Messrs. Lyons and Hanly, whose factory, in a secluded part of the vale of Glanmire, contains 30 looms, and affords employment to 200 persons. The bleach-greens of Messrs. Thorley and Son, at Annasilla, employ 100 persons; and the St. Patrick's beetling-mills, belonging to the same firm, afford employment to 100 more. The produce of these manufactories and others in the neighbourhood is sent by land carriage to Cork, a distance of five miles, the road being the principal entrance into Cork from Dublin, Clonmel, Kilkenny, and Cashel. At this point it is hilly and dangerous: to avoid the hills a new line of road was sought for, intended to pass over the Glanmire river and along its banks, to join that part of the present road running along the side of the river Lee into Cork; it would be a perfect level and a most delightful drive, but its execution has been successfully opposed. Spring Hill Mills, belonging to Mr. J. Daly, produce annually about 10,000 barrels on the average, and employ a considerable number of men. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cork, united to the rectories and vicarages of Cahirlog and Little Island, together forming the union and the corps of the prebend of Rathcooney, in the cathedral of St. Finbarr, Cork, and in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £500; the glebe comprises 19 1/2 acres, and the gross value of the benefice is £1078. 4. The church, situated in the village of Glanmire, is a plain neat edifice, with a tower and spire, built in 1784 by subscription of the several parishes of the union, on ground presented by Robert Rodgers, Esq. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union of Upper Glanmire; there is a chapel of ease at Spring Hill. Of the different schools, two are under the patronage of the parish priest, and a school of about 100 girls is supported by Mrs. Hickie. The children employed in the woollen factory are obliged to attend a school for three hours every evening, the school-house and teacher being provided by Messrs. Lyons and Hanly, who make no deduction or charge in money or labour as an equivalent. S. McCall, Esq. left an annuity of £18, late currency, and Quinton Hamilton, Esq., the interest of £500, to be distributed annually among the poor. A repository for the sale of wearing apparel to the poor at reduced prices, payable by small instalments, was established at Glanmire, in 1835, under the patronage of the Rev. T. Woodroffe and a committee of ladies, but it has failed to accomplish its intended purpose: there is a dispensary. On the townland of Rathcooney are the ruins of the old church, attached to which is the burial-ground of the parish. Near this is an old edifice, now almost in ruins, formerly the residence of the family of St. Leger, who possessed very considerable property in the parish. There are several raths.

RATHCOR, a village, in the parish of CARLINGFORD, barony of LOWER DUNDALK, county of LOUTH, and province of LEINSTER, 3 1/2 miles (S.) from Carlingford, on the bay of Dundalk; containing 45 houses and 274 inhabitants.

RATHCORE, a parish, partly in the barony of UPPER DEECE, but chiefly in that of LOWER MOYFENRAGH, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (S. W.) from Summerhill, on the road to Edenderry; containing, with the post-town of Enfield (which is separately described), 3455 inhabitants, of which number, 73 are in the village of Rathcore. This parish, which is situated on the Royal Canal and on the road from Dublin to Athlone, is bounded on the south by the river Blackwater, which here separates it from the county of Kildare. It comprises 14,303 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the land is of good quality and the greater portion of it under tillage; the system of agriculture is improved, there is no waste land, and but a very moderate portion of bog: there is a quarry of good limestone at Newcastle. The principal seats are Johnstown, the residence of J. H. Rorke, Esq.; Rahinstown, of R. G. Bomford, Esq.; Ryndville, of R. Rynd, Esq.; Newcastle, of C. Lennon, Esq.; and Ballinderry, the property of the Hon. R. T. Rowley, and the residence of Thos. Murphy, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is appropriate to the see. The tithes amount to £807. 13. 10., of which £438. 9. 2 1/2. is payable to the bishop, and £369. 4. 7 1/2. to the vicar. There is a good glebe-house, and the glebe comprises 41 acres, valued at £62. 2. per annum. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union of Rathmolion; the chapel is a spacious and handsome edifice, situated at Kilcorney, on the estate of Lord Decies. A school-house is now being erected near the church, from funds chiefly supplied by the vicar and by John Bridges, Esq., of London; there are four private schools, in which are about 180 children.

RATHCORMAC, a market and post-town, (formerly a parliamentary borough), and a parish, in the barony of BARRYMORE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 14 miles (N. E.) from Cork, and 111 (S. W.) from Dublin; containing 5143 inhabitants, of which number, 1574 are in the town, which is situated on the river Bride, and on the mail road from Cork to Dublin. It comprises one principal street with some smaller diverging from it, and consists of 244 houses, several of which are well built of stone. At the entrance from Cork are several picturesque cottages, erected by the Hon. Chas. L. Tonson. It is a constabulary police station, and the dep6t for the staff of the South Cork militia. The only manufacture carried on is that of leather by Mr. Wm. O'Connell, in whose tannery upwards of 10,000 hides, 32,500 calf-skins and 500 horse-skins are annually prepared for the markets of London, Bristol, Liverpool and Leeds. The manor mill, under the patent of Chas. II., has been rebuilt at an expense of £1500 by Mr. D. Cummins, and is capable of grinding 5000 bags of flour annually. A small market is held in the market-house on Saturday; and there are fairs, which are small and not well attended, on Aug. 12th, and Oct. 31st. Petty sessions are held on alternate Tuesdays, and the seneschal occasionally holds a manor court for the recovery of debts under 40s. The town was erected into a free borough by Chas. II., in 1682, and obtained the right of returning two members to the Irish parliament, the elective franchise being vested in the freeholders and inhabitants: it was disfranchised at the Union.

The parish comprises 12,984 statute acres, of which about one-sixth is mountain and bog. The soil is very varied in character; in the lower parts it is good and under an excellent system of cultivation, but not more than half of the parish is under tillage: upwards of 2000 acres are rough mountain pasture, moor or turbary. The uplands form part of the hilly tract called Nagle's mountains, which originate here and extend westward to the Bogra range. The eastern extremity of Nagle's mountains, about three miles north of Rathcormac, is very lofty and appears as if it had been cut down vertically from the summit to the base: on its highest point is a large conical pile of stones, called Cairn-Thierna, "The Lord's cairn or pile," so named, according to some, from having been the place where the Tierna or chieftain assembled his followers and chose their leaders; or, according to others, from having been a place of pagan worship to the sun. This range is entirely of clay-slate: in the lower grounds limestone is very abundant, particularly at Ballyvarry; much of the mountain tract, hitherto uncultivated, is reclaimable; and the bog, from which the turf has been entirely cut away in many places, might be brought into a profitable state at a small expense, as it lies remarkably well for drainage. There are several large and handsome seats: the principal are Lisnegar, the elegant mansion of the Rt. Hon. Lord Riversdale, in the midst of a small but highly improved demesne, comprising a great variety of rural scenery within a limited compass; Kilshannick, the ancient mansion and winter residence of Edm. Roche, of Trabolgan, Esq.; Ballyglissane, of F. G. Reeves, Esq.; Shanbally, of John Welsh, Esq.; Bushy Park, of R. G. Campion, Esq.; Kildinon, the highly improved property of Edm. Roche, Esq.; the glebe, the residence of the Rev. W. Bourne; Ballinahina House, of Gerard Barry, Esq.; and Ballinahina Cottage, of the Rev. Dr. Barry, the parish priest of Fermoy for half a century, and for a long period the R. C. vicar-general of Cloyne. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cloyne, and in the patronage of the Rev. Percy Smith, of Headborough, county of Waterford: the tithes amount to £842, and there is a glebe-house, with a glebe of 31a. 1r. 34p. The church, an ancient building, was much enlarged and improved in 1828, by a loan of £250 from the late Board of First Fruits. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also that of Gortroe; in each parish there is a chapel; that at Rathcormac is a large cruciform edifice, with a small square tower at the south transept, erected in 1816 on a site given by Lord Rivers-dale. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists, also a fever hospital and dispensary. There are nine schools in the parish: the parochial schools are supported by the rector and by a subscription of £10 per ann. from the Hon. George Colley; there is a school at Kildinan in connection with the Board of National Education, and another at Rathcormac, with accommodations for 400 pupils, built at a cost of £250; a Sunday school is under the superintendence of the Protestant clergymen: the remainder are private schools. The total number of children in the day schools is 320, of whom 197 are boys and 123 girls. At Shanbally, near Kildinan, are the ruins of an ancient castle, once the strong hold of the great Earl of Desmond.

RATHDOWNEY, a post-town and parish, in the barony of UPPER OSSORY, QUEEN'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 15 miles (S. W.) from Maryborough, and 56 1/4 (S. W.) from Dublin, on the road to Templemore; containing 6654 inhabitants, of which number, 1214 are in the town. This town, in 1831, contained 211 houses, which are in general indifferently built and of neglected appearance; the streets are ill paved, and the place has few indications of prosperity. There are an extensive brewery and a boulting-mill. Fairs are held on Jan. 27th, April 1st, May 6th, July 10th, Sept. 12th, Nov. 1st, and Dec. 15th; and a patent was obtained in the reign of Geo. III. for a weekly market and three additional fairs, none of which are held: fairs are held at Errill on Jan. 14th and March 11th. Petty sessions are held in the town every Saturday, and a constabulary police force is stationed at Errill and Lavally. The parish comprises 13,406 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the land, of which about one-third is in pasture, and the remainder under tillage, is of very excellent quality, and the system of agriculture improved; there is but very little bog and no waste land; limestone abounds and is quarried for building and burning. The principal seats are Harristown, the residence of M. H. Drought, Esq.; Beckfield, of T. Roe, Esq.; Johnstown Glebe, of the Rev. M. Monck; and Lackland, of the Rev. R. Young: and in the vicinity of town, though not within the parish, are Ballybrophy, the residence of S. White, Esq.; Old Park, of Robt. White, Esq.; Middlemount, of Robt. Roe, Esq.; Grantstown, of -- Vicars, Esq.; Kilbredy, of Jas. Drought, Esq.; Belmont, of J. Roe, Esq.; Levally, of R. Fitzgerald, Esq.; Knockfin, of Capt. Mosse; and Erkendale, of W. Owen, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, episcopally united, in 1816, to the rectories of Glashare and Kildellig, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is appropriate to the dean and chapter of the cathedral of Kilkenny. The tithes amount to £750, of which £500 is payable to the dean and chapter and the remainder to the vicar: the glebe-house, towards which the late Board of First Fruits granted a gift of £100 and a loan of £1200, in 1814, and on which the present rector laid out £400 more, making the whole cost £1700, is a handsome residence; and the glebe comprises 267 acres: the gross income of the benefice is £950. The church, towards the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits granted a loan of £1000, in 1815, is a handsome edifice in the later English style, with a well proportioned spire. In the R. C. divisions the parish is in the union or district of Grogan, comprising this and the parishes of Donamore, Skeirke, Coolkerry, and Rathsaran, and containing three chapels, situated at Rathdowney (a spacious plain building,) Grogan and Killismista. There is also a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. There is a parochial school at Rathdowney, and a school at Castle-Fleming; the latter is supported by R. H. Stubber, Esq., and divine service is performed in the school-house every Sunday evening during the summer months: there are national schools for both sexes at Rathdowney and Errill; about 200 children receive instruction in all these schools. There are also six private schools, in which are about 450 children, a Sunday school, and two dispensaries, one in the town and the other at Errill. At Ballagh, Clonbyrne, and Castle-Fleming are the ruins of ancient castles; at Cloneve, near Harristown, are trifling remains of an old church and burial-place; and at Errill, those of a church and monastery, and the remains of a very ancient cross. Ledwich, the antiquarian, who was for many years curate of this parish, published an account of the antiquities of it and of the adjoining parish of Aghaboe.

RATHDOWLAN.--See BALLINADEE.

RATHDRUM, a market and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of BALLINACOR, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 8 miles (S. W.) from Wicklow, and 29 (S. W.) from Dublin; containing 2688 inhabitants, of which number, 1054 are in the town. This place, which is situated on the mail road from Dublin to Arklow, derives its name of Rathdrum, "The fort on the Hill," from its position on a lofty and commanding eminence, formerly the fortified residence of the ancient chieftains of the territory in the northeast of the county, then known by the name of Crioc-Cuolan. It was subsequently held by the Byrnes, but in 1595 was wrested from Pheagh Mac Hugh Byrne, the most active and formidable chieftain of these parts in his time, by Sir William Fitzwilliams, Lord-Deputy, the ancestor of the present Earl Fitzwilliam, who is proprietor of large estates in the county. The town, situated on the height to the west of the Avonmore, is small but neat, the houses well built and generally white-washed, with a few of superior appearance, among which the glebe-house, with its sloping lawn and tastefully disposed shrubberies, adds considerably to the general appearance. The manufacture of flannel was carried on here to such an extent that the Irish government deemed it necessary to appoint a seller of flannels to superintend it, under whom were a deputy and eight sworn meters, who resided in the town. A flannel-hall was erected in 1793, at an expense of £3500, by the late Earl Fitzwilliam, who received a toll of 2d. on every piece of 120 yards, which produced on an average about £300 per annum: the trade continued to flourish so long as the protecting duties on Irish woollens were maintained, but on their repeal it declined rapidly and is now nearly extinct: the few pieces at present made are purchased by the shopkeepers in the town. The apartments in the market-house, which forms a spacious square, and above the principal entrance of which is an escutcheon of Earl Fitzwilliam's arms, are now used for a court-house, a R. C. chapel, and schools. The manufacture of woollen cloth also flourished here, but owing to the same causes has declined within the last 12 years, and is now also extinct. A large factory at Grenane, on the Avonbeg, was burnt down during the disturbances in 1798. There are two breweries in the town. The market, held on Thursday, is well supplied with provisions: the monthly market for flannels, which was well attended by buyers from Dublin, has been discontinued for some time. Fairs are held in Rathdrum on the last Thursday in Feb., May, and Aug., and on April 5th, July 5th, Oct. 10th, and Dec. 11th; and at Ballinderry on April 21st, May 16th, Aug. 21st, Oct. 29th, the first Monday in Nov., and Dec. 2nd. Petty sessions for the barony are held on alternate Thursdays in the Flannel-hall, and there is a chief constabulary police station in the town.

The parish, which contains 33,863 acres, as applotted under the tithe act, is subdivided into the constablewicks of Ballinacor, Ballykine, Knockrath, and Rathdrum, and comprises the villages of Aghrim, Ballinaclash, Ballinderry, Cappagh, Clara, Greenan, Moycreddin or Carysfort, and Sheanna. It is centrally situated among some of the grandest and most picturesque scenery of this romantic county. At its southern extremity is the confluence of the rivers Avonmore and Avonbeg, better known, since it has been immortalised by the poetry of Moore, as "the Meeting of the Waters:" north of the town, the course of the Avonmore is through the vale of Clara to the Seven Churches, and, more westerly, the Avonbeg passes through the rugged and precipitous valley of Glenmalure, which terminates suddenly at the waterfall of the Esk. The western and by much the larger portion of the parish is occupied by mountain masses, rising above one another, and topped by the summit of Lugnaquilla, which towers over the rest to a height of 3070 feet above the level of Dublin bay at low water. These mountains are rich in minerals. The lead mine of Ballyfinchogue, about a mile from the barrack at Ballinacor, which has been lately purchased for a residence for the workmen, is now wrought by the Royal Irish Mining Company. The vein, which traverses alternate beds of granite and mica slate, is penetrated by means of an adit level. Its chief produce is common galena in a matrix of quartz, though white lead ore and other minerals are likewise found in small quantities. The annual produce is about 300 tons of galena, which was formerly smelted here, but now is merely washed and exported; the ore produces about 75 per cent, of pure metal. Arrangements are in progress to open another mine on Mr. Parnell's property on the opposite side of the glen. Excellent building stone is raised in great abundance. The arable lands, amounting to 5484 statute acres, are chiefly under tillage; the principal crop is oats: the remainder, with the exception of some moorland, is under pasture; the butter made here is of very superior quality and in high request in the Dublin market. Fuel is scarce, as there is very little bog. The eastern parts of the parish, and more particularly those along the rivers Avonmore and Avonbeg, are thickly studded with residences of the gentry and wealthy farmers. The most remarkable are Avondale, the mansion of John Parnell, Esq., situated in a finely planted demesne, which was the favourite residence of the late Sir John Parnell, Bart., once chancellor of the Irish exchequer; Ballinacor, the residence of Wm. Kemmis, Jun., Esq., surrounded by extensive plantations and commanding a fine view of the wild glen of Glenmalure; Kingston, the seat of T. M. King, Esq., a commodious house in the midst of beautifully disposed grounds, commanding fine views of Castle Howard and the Meeting of the Waters; Cassino, a pretty villa, the residence of F. Fetherston-H., Esq.; The Meeting, the neat ornamental cottage of N. Kempston, Esq., at the celebrated Meeting of the Waters, on a rustic seat in the lawn of which Moore is said to have composed the beautiful melody that bears this name; Corballis Castle, the residence of Mr. A. Manning; Ballyteigue, of Mr. W. Manning, and Prospect, of Mr. Wm. Gilbert, all commanding extended and richly varied views.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin, and in the patronage of the Corporation of Dublin, to which it was granted, together with the tithes and a large extent of land belonging to the Priory of All Saints, in that city, after the dissolution of the monasteries: the tithes amount to £553. 16. 10. The glebe-house has been already noticed: the glebe consists of 11 1/2 acres. The church, situated in the town, was erected in 1796, aided by a private loan and voluntary subscriptions to the amount of £1000, and by the sale of the materials of the old building: it is now in a dilapidated state, and it is in contemplation to take it down and rebuild it, for which purpose the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have granted£1058. Divine service is at present performed in the Flannel-hall. One of the bells, on which there is an inscription in ancient characters, is said to have belonged to one of the churches at Glendalough. There are chapels of ease at Ballinaton and Moycreddin or Carysfort, served by curates appointed by the rector. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church; part of the Flannel-hall has been fitted up as a chapel, and a good house has been erected by Earl Fitzwilliam, near the town, as a residence for the parish priest: there are also chapels at Clara, Moycreddin, and Grenane. The Wesleyan Methodists have a meeting-house in the town. In Rathdrum is a large school-house, with a garden and teacher's house, in which 80 children of each sex are instructed, 40 of each gratuitously: the rent is paid by the rector, and the teacher receives his salary from the funds of Erasmus Smith's charity: the school requisites are provided by private subscription. There is also a school in the Flannel-hall, aided by an annual donation of £20 from Earl Fitzwilliam: schools are supported at Ballinacor by Mr. Kemmis, at Avondale by private subscription, and at Ballinaclash and Ballinderry by the rector. At Carysfort is a royal endowed school: in all these about 220 boys and 180 girls are educated: there are also five Sunday schools. A dispensary was established in 1812, and there is a lending library of about 300 volumes attached to the church. Mr. John Tate, of Fannaneerin, bequeathed lands in Knockrath, of the value of £100 per ann., to be employed in loans of £5, free of interest, for a year, and for assisting the families of the sick, infirm, and aged poor with small donations; £50 per annum of this fund is appropriated to the dispensary. A charitable association was formed in 1829, by subscription, to relieve the wants of the necessitous poor in their own houses, and for encouraging industry. On Drumkitt hill is a chalybeate spring of considerable efficacy.--See CARYSFORT.

RATHDRUMMIN, a parish, in the barony of FERRARD, county of LOUTH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (S. E.) from Dunleer, on the road from Drogheda to Dundalk; containing 640 inhabitants. It comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 1211a. 0r. 27p.: the land is good and almost entirely in tillage, and the state of agriculture is much improved. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Armagh, united by act of council, in 1810, to the rectory of Carrickbaggot and vicarage of Port, and in the patronage of the Crown. The tithes amount to £82. 6. 3 1/2.; and the gross value of the benefice, including the glebes, comprising 13 acres, and valued at £25 per ann., is £310. 4. 3. The glebe-house was erected in 1810, by aid of a gift of £369, and a loan of the same amount from the late Board of First Fruits. The church is a neat structure, rebuilt in 1814 at an expense of £461, being a loan from the same Board. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parishes of Clogher, Mayne, and Parsonstown, and containing the chapels of Walshstown, in the parish of Rathdrummin, and Hacketscross in Clogher. Near the church is a large rath attributed to the Danes, consisting of an elevated area, 130 yards in circumference.

RATHERNON, a parish, in the barony of CONNELL, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 5 3/4 miles (N. E.) from Kildare, containing 1010 inhabitants. This parish comprises 3437 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: it is situated on the bog of Allen, by which it and the parish of Kilmaogue are entirely insulated, forming what is called the Isle of Allen; its chief feature is the hill of Allen. On its northern border are the ruins of Ballyteigue castle. Limestone is found under the greater part of this tract, but the hill of Allen is wholly composed of trap: at the northern extremity of the hill, about a quarter of a mile distant, is a slight eminence called the Leap of Allen, composed of red sandstone conglomerate, arranged in beds varying in thickness. The greenstone of the hill, combined with greenstone porphyry, appears all round the base, on the sides and on the summit, in protuberant masses without any stratification. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, forming part of the union of Kilmaogue: the tithes amount to £118. 4. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Allen and Miltown. There are ruins of the old church.

RATHFARNE, a village, in the parish of KILLUCAN, barony of FARBILL, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 4 1/2 miles (N.) from Kinnegad, on the road from Killucan to Trim; containing 259 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Deel, which is here crossed by a long causeway or bridge of three arches, and in 1831 contained 45 houses: it is a station of the constabulary police. A market is held on Tuesday for corn, of which a large quantity is sold. Here is one of the two R. C. chapels belonging to the district of Killucan; also a National school. Adjoining the village are the remains of an old castle, the walls of which extended across the river; and at Kilcollan, in the vicinity, are the ruins of a church with a cemetery attached.

RATHFARNHAM, a parish, in the barony of NEWCASTLE, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (S.) from Dublin, on the road to Rathdrum; containing 4573 inhabitants, of which number, 1572 are in the village. The castle of Rathfarnham was built by Archbishop Loftus, who was Lord Chancellor of Ireland in the reign of Elizabeth. On the breaking out of the war of 1641, Sir Adam Loftus held it with a garrison, as an outpost to protect the city of Dublin against the incursions of the septs of O'Toole and Byrne from the neighbouring mountains of Wicklow; in 1649 it was taken by the forces of the Duke of Ormonde. Adam Loftus, grandson of Sir Adam, was created baron of Rathfarnham in 1685. At the commencement of the insurrection of 1798, the village was the scene of a skirmish between a detachment of the King's troops and a party of the insurgents, in which several of the latter were killed and others taken prisoners. Near the village is a lofty bridge of a single arch over the river Dodder, the road from which is thickly shaded by the plantations of the demesnes on each side: the place itself is a long straggling street, with very little to attract attention. The country around is studded with numerous beautiful and richly planted seats, and presents a great variety of picturesque rural scenery. Petty sessions are held in the village every Wednesday: it is a metropolitan police station, and has a dispensary; a fair is held in it on the 10th of July. Near the bridge is a woollen factory, which employs about 100 persons; there are also paper and corn mills near it, which are worked by the waters of the Dodder and the Cruagh river, that form a junction here: at Rathgar are extensive calico print-works. The small villages of Roundtown and Templeogue are in the parish: in the latter are the ruins of a church with a small burial-ground still used as a cemetery attached to it. Archbishop Alan states, in his "Repertorium Viride," that the church was a chapel appendant to the church of Kilmesantan without the marches or pale; that it was built on the hither side of the Dodder, as being a safe place to hear divine service in during times of war; and that from its late erection it had the name of Templeogue, which signifies "New Church," given to it. The castle, now the property of the Marquess of Ely, is a large and stately mansion in the centre of a fine and thickly planted demesne, the principal entrance to which is a very beautiful gateway, built in the style of a Roman triumphal arch, besides which there is a very lofty pointed Gothic gateway leading to the village: the entrance to the house from the terrace on which it stands is by a portico of eight Doric columns which support a dome painted in fresco with the signs of the zodiac: the great hall is ornamented with a number of ancient and modern busts on pedestals of variegated marble, and has three windows of stained glass, in one of which are the arms of the Loftus family. The collection of family portraits and paintings by the old masters has been removed, in consequence of a determination to take the building down and to divide the demesne into a number of small plots for the erection of villas. The other more remarkable seats, besides those described in the articles on Roundtown and Rathgar, are Ashfield, the residence of Sir W. C. Smith, puisne baron of the Exchequer; Beaufort, of R. Hodgens, Esq.; Landscape, of H. O'Callaghan, Esq.; Whitehall, of W. P. Matthews, Esq.; Newtown, of John Kirby, Esq., LL.D., M.D., in the grounds of which there are some very fine evergreens; Rathfarnham House, of the Rev. H. McClean; Bolton Hall, of P. Jones, Esq.; Barton Lodge, of W. Conlan, Esq.; Sallymount, of J. Watson, Esq.; Edenbrook, of E. Conlan, Esq.; Ballyroan, of A. Reilly, Esq.; Brook Lodge, of R. Hutchinson, Esq.; Mount Browne, of Mrs. Johnson; Old Orchard, of P. Larkin, Esq.; Ballyhill, of the Rev. G. Browne; Butterfield House, of J. Wright, Esq.; Nutgrove, of P. Jones, Esq.; Washington Lodge, of the Rev. J. Burnett; Fairbrook, of Thos. Murphy, Esq.; Rusina, of B. Brunton, Esq.; Old Orchard House, of J. Sweeny, Esq., and Whitehall, of T. Laffan, Esq., an out-office of which is built in the shape of a pottery furnace, with a winding flight of steps on the outside to the top, whence there is a commanding prospect of the surrounding country.

The parish comprises 2724 statute acres. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Dublin, and one of the parishes which constitute the archdeaconry of Dublin: the tithes amount to £315. The church is a plain building of rough stone with hewn stone quoins, of very plain outward appearance, but fitted up within very neatly: in it is a mural tablet to the memory of Barry Yelverton, first Lord Avonmore, whose remains are in the cemetery, as are also those of the late Archbishop Magee. The church was enlarged and a tower and spire added to it, in 1821, at a cost of £900, being a loan from the Board of First Fruits, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £270 for its repair. In the R. C. divisions this is the head of the union or district of Rathfarnham, Crumlin, and Bohernabreena, comprising the parishes of Rathfarnham, Crumlin, Tallaght, Cruagh, and Whitechurch. There are large chapels at Rathfarnham, Crumlin, and Bohernabreena, the last in the parish of Tallaght: near the first-named is a good house for the priest. Near the village is a convent of nuns of the order of Loretto: the building is a large brick mansion, which had been the seat of the late G. Grierson, Esq. The sisterhood have a boarding school for young ladies and also superintend a free school of upwards of 100 children, which is aided by the Board of National Education; the pupils receive a suit of clothes annually. Attached to the nunnery is a small chapel very elegantly fitted up: the sisterhood have lately purchased the convent of the nuns of St. Clare at Kingstown. The parochial school is aided by an annual donation from the archdeacon of Dublin; a school for boys in connection with the R. C. chapel is supported by subscriptions and a charity sermon; another school is in connection with the London Hibernian Society. Wilkes, the celebrated comedian, was a native of this parish.

RATHFEIGH, or RATHFAYGTH, a parish, in the barony of SKREEN, county of MEATH, and province or LEINSTER, 8 miles (S.) from Slane, on the mail road from Dublin by Slane to Londonderry; containing 385 inhabitants. This parish comprises 2897 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the land is of indifferent quality and mostly in tillage. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the union of Skryne or Skreen: the tithes amount to £180, and there is a glebe of 2 acres, valued at £5. 10. per annum. In the R. C. divisions also it is part of the union or district of Skryne: there is a chapel at Rathfe