Rathbeagh is a hill on the

River Nore The River Nore ( ga, An Fheoir ) is one of the principal rivers (along with the River Suir and River Barrow) in the South-East Region of Ireland. The river drains approximately of Leinster and Munster, that encompasses parts of three counti ...

in the parish of

Lisdowney Lisdowney () is a townland in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It lies on the River Nore near Ballyragget and is home to Lisdowney GAA club. The townland is in the civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Aharney, within the barony (Ireland), histori ...

near Ballyragget,

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. The

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

name is ''Rath Beithigh'', meaning "the rath (

ringfort Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wales ...

) of the birch trees". According to local tradition, the

is the burial place of Heremon, son of the

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

leader Milesius. It is located in an ancient valley once called ''Mágh Airgid Rois'' ("plain of the silver wood"). The hill consists of a flat-topped oval mound about north to south and east to west. A fosse wide surrounds the mound, leaving a gap at the river's edge. Outside there is a rampart about high. The whole structure overlooks a bend on the Nore. The river is fordable at this location, so strategically the fort controlled the crossing. Parts of the rath are being eroded by the presence of livestock in the field. The remains of a church dedicated to St. Catherine are located in the graveyard situated just about north of the Rath. The church is built on the site of an earlier castle or stronghouse. Remains of what are believed to be stables or workshops were discovered in the adjacent field. The earliest gravestone date that can be distinguished in the graveyard is 1715. Just east of the old church is a pond under the road, known locally as ''Poll Leabhair'', meaning "pond of the book" or "hole of the book". According to tradition, the church was desecrated during the Cromwellian wars, and the

Missal A missal is a liturgical book containing instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the liturgical year. Versions differ across liturgical tradition, period, and purpose, with some missals intended to enable a pries ...

was dumped in this pond. In the mid-19th century, the church bell was found in a sand-pit in a nearby field and was presented to the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...

church in Killeshan,

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272. The River Barrow flows through the town and forms the historic bounda ...

, according to Carrigan's History of Ossory. A well nearby is known as St. Catherine's Well. Its specific location is unclear, but it is somewhere a short distance south of ''Poll Leabhair'' and between the field known as The Paddock and the river Nore. Oral history records that the well's water was used as a cure for eye disease.

Notable residents

* Kepple Elias and Mary Disney - parents of

Elias Disney Elias Charles Disney (February 6, 1859September 13, 1941) was a Canadian-American construction worker and entrepreneur. He is best known as the father of Roy and Walt Disney, co-founders of The Walt Disney Company. Biography Early life Disn ...

and grandparents of

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

References

{{coord, 52.752508, N, 7.344611, W, region:IE-KK_type:landmark, display=title Archaeological sites in County Kilkenny