Location

Rath lies on the R460 regional road between

Inagh Inagh ( ; ) is a village and civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It is situated 14 km west of Ennis on the Inagh River. It contains the villages of Inagh and Cloonanaha. Location The parish is part of the barony of Inchiquin. The ''P ...

to the south-west and Corofin to the north-east. It is about northwest of the county town -

Ennis Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,276, ...

. Corofin, in the parish of Kilnaboy, is about to the south. The parish is and covers . The bridge at Corofin over the

River Fergus The River Fergus ( ga, An Forghas) is a river within the Shannon River Basin which flows in County Clare, Ireland. The river begins at Lough Fergus in north Clare and flows into the Shannon Estuary. The source is at Lough Fergus in the townland ...

is the northern boundary of the parish. Hamlets include Riverston and Knockmacart. The former

West Clare Railway The West Clare Railway (WCR) originally operated in County Clare, Ireland, between 1887 and 1961. This narrow-gauge railway ran from the county town of Ennis, via numerous stopping-points along the West Clare coast to two termini, at Kilrush a ...

traversed the parish from east to west. The land consists of a mix of coarse pasture and good arable land. It contains parts of the lakes of

Inchiquin Inchiquin ( ga, Inse Uí Chuinn) is a barony in County Clare, Ireland.Placenames Database o ...

and Tadane. Church of Rath Blaithmaic

There are the ruins of an ancient church near the shore of a small lake, and nearby the ruined Rath Castle. Other ruined castles are O'Nial's Court, once the residence of the O'Nials, and Tier Mac Bran castle near the shore of Inchiquin lake. In 1841 the population was 2,647 in 398 houses. The parish today is part of the Catholic parish of Corofin, Kilnaboy and Rath. It is served by the church of St Mary's in Rath.

Legend of Lough Raha

Lough Raha is said to be the place where the early Irish saint

Mac Creiche Mac Creiche (or Maccreehy, MacCrecius) of Liscannor is described by various old texts as an early Irish saint, a hermit who slew monsters and persuaded kings to submit to him through miracles. He was probably not a historical figure. The stories ...

defeated the ''Brioch-Seach'', or badger monster. The demon badger killed both cattle and men, and was not subdued by the prayers of six local saints. When Mac Creiche arrived the monster, as high as a tall tree, was pursuing and killing the people, discharging balls of fire from its mouth. The saint drove the monster into the waters of the lake, which turned red. The monster rose up again, and Mac Creiche took his cowl and threw it over the monster. The cowl grew so it was "like a cowl of smelted iron" that pressed the monster to the lake bed. The monster would not arise again until the eve of

Judgement Day The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

Townlands

The parish contains the townlands of Annagh, Applevale, Ballykinnacorra North, Ballykinnacorra South, Boherbullog, Cahercorcaun, Cahernamona, Carnane, Carrowduff, Carrownagarraun, Carrowvere, Craggaunboy, Clifden, Cregmoher, Curraghkeel, Drinagh, Gortcooldurrin, Gortnaglough, Killeen, Kihaska, Knocknareeha, Liscullaun, Loughnagowan, Maghera, Martry, Moanreel North, Moanreel South, Moherbullog, Moyhill, Poulbaun, Rafline, Rath, Roxton, Scool, Shessiv and Tonlegee.

References

Citations Sources * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Rath parish at the Clare County Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rath Civil parishes of County Clare