School: Rath, Birr
- Location:
- Rathmount, Co. Offaly
- Teacher: Mrs. E. Dillon
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0822, Page 119
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- RATH: The ancient name was Rath - Mac - Kilduff, it was changed to Thomastown by Bennet of Thomastown House in memory of an ancestor called Thomas Bennet.
Thomastown: The estate and house belonged to the Irish family O'Molloy. About the year 1640 by the Defective Tithes Act the estate was confiscated and given to an English settler names Bennet. The Bennet family is now extinct and the estate belongs to Major Ryan a cousin of the Bennets. He resides in Switzerland and has not visited the place during the past fifteen years. He is married - no children.
Birr: was long ago called Tulach Brenand (St Brendan's Hill) and was also known as Biorra - standing water. O'Clery says Bir means water and Rae a plain. Ollamh Fodhla (according to the Chronicles of Eri) some 700 years before Christ passed the Soir coming from Munster and kept the waters thereof on his right till he came in sight of the waters of Biorra. The Four Masters record a battle between Cormac son(continues on next page)
