placenamesRathdowney
Ráth Domhnaigh
Lewis distinguished actual trading gatherings from a patent that had not been put into practice.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Ráth Domhnaigh · Irish · main form · non-validated name
- Rathdowney · English · main form
Place & story
A patent without a weekly market
Samuel Lewis listed seven annual fairs at Rathdowney in 1837. He also recorded a patent obtained in George III’s reign for a weekly market and three additional fairs, but stated that these were not held. The legal permission therefore describes a proposed expansion of trading occasions, distinct from the fairs actually taking place. [2]
Errill’s local services
Within the wider parish, Errill held fairs on 14 January and 11 March. Lewis recorded a dispensary there as well as one in Rathdowney town, and national schools for boys and girls at both places. These facilities gave the rural parish more than one centre for trade, education and care. [2]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Civil parish
- County
- Laois
- Barony
- Clarmallagh
- Barony
- Clandonagh
- Coordinates
- 52.85878, -7.62208
- Mapped area
- 67.67 km²
- Logainm ID
- 1452 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Rathdowney. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Rathdowney: A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) · Samuel Lewis
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.