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RAH
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, 1¾ mile (N. E.) from Kilcoek, on
one of the roads to Maynooth; containing 651 inhabi-
tants. This parish comprises 1705½ 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 princi-
pal seats are Dollandstown, the residence of A. U. Gled-
stanes, Esq.; Newtown Prospect, of A. Coates, Esq.;
Bridestream, of J. Coates, Esq.; Colgath, of Mrs. Tron-
son; 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 Bal-
feighan, 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. 7¼. per
ann.: the glebe consists of half an acre near the church,
which is an ancient plain edifice. In the R. C. divi-
sions 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 in-
terest to the payment of a schoolmaster and schoolmis-
tress for the gratuitous instruction of children; also
£50 for anmial 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, 2½ miles (E.) from
Mallow, on the road to Fermoy, and on the river Black-
water; 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 Ballyma-
gooly, which was garrisoned by the English, the relief of
which occasioned the battle of Bottle hill, in this neigh-
bourhood. 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, hut 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 Mal-
low market is partly supplied with fuel; limestone
abounds and is used for building and agricultural pur-
poses, and the state of agriculture has of late years been
much improved. Rockforest, the spacious and hand-
some mansion of Sir J. L. Cotter, Bart., is beauti-
fully 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
480
RAH
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. Cot-
ter, to whose memory and that of his lady it contains a
neat mural monument; the Ecclesiastical Commission-
ers 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 Metho-
dists. The parochial school at Cotterborough, near
Ballymagooly, is a neat building, comprising two large
school-rooms, with apartments for the master and mis-
tress, 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. Cot-
ter, 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 subscrip-
tion, in which and in the two former about 100 child-
ren are educated; and there are two private schools,
in which are about 90 children. The late H. J. Cot-
ter, 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, bequeath-
ed £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 LEIN-
STER, 3½ 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 resi-
dence of J. O’Brien, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the dio-
cese 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. 2½ 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 pa-
rish, and a perpetual curacy instituted, of which the in-
cumbent of Fircall is patron: the income of the curate
is £107. 7. 8¼., arising from a stipend of £55. 7. 8¼.
paid by the incumbent, £37 from Primate Boulter’s
Augmentation Fund, and 10 acres of glebe, valued at £15