Clare Places: Parishes: Rath: Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland, 1845

Rath

A parish in the barony of Inchiquin, 1¾ mile south-south-west of Corrofin, Co. Clare, Munster. Length, westward, 6½ miles; breadth, from ½ to 2¾; area, 8,488 acres, 3 roods, 38 perches,-of which 151 acres, 1 rood, 37 perches are water. Pop., in 1831, 2,521; in 1841, 2,647. Houses 398. The surface consists variously of mountain, moor, bog, rocky ground, lake, and arable land; and it is to a considerable extent unprofitable, and contains very little good soil. A height on the northern boundary has an altitude of 629 feet above sea-level; and Slievenacarrowduff, near the centre, has an altitude of 506 feet. Loughs Inchiquin, Attydaun, Ballycullinan, Shanvally, and Drumcara lie on the boundaries; and the small lake Raha lies in the interior. Among the antiquities are the ruins of Rath-castle, Moyhill-castle, Bohneill-castle, Maghera-castle, and three other castles, Kylewore-fort, Kylebreedia, and Knockaraheen-fort, and the ruins of a church. The hamlets are Knockreagh, Ballinalecka, Knockmagarra, Knocknacarta, Cloncarragh, Martryroe, Martrybeg, Martrymore, West-Knockarradaun, and East-Knockarradaun; and the principal residences are Adelphi-house, Appleville-house, Rockstown-house, and Cahoo-house. This parish is a vicarage, and part of the benefice of KILNEBOY, in the dio. of Killaloe. Vicarial tithe composition, £25 11s. 8d.; glebe, £19 16s. 10d. The rectorial tithes are compounded for £51 3s. 4d.; and are appropriated to the prebend of Rath in Killaloe cathedral. The Roman Catholic chapel has an attendance of 400. In 1834, the Protestants amounted to 64, and the Roman Catholics to 2,645; and 2 daily schools,— one of which was salaried with £10 a-year from the London Hibernian Society, and £15 from Mr. Synge, had on their books 74 boys and 34 girls.

The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland, 1845
Courtesy of Clare Local Studies Project