Raheen An Ráithín
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— Town — | |
Raheen
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Coordinates: | |
Country | Ireland |
Province | Leinster |
County | County Laois |
Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
• Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
Irish Grid Reference | S426904 |
Raheen (Irish: An Ráithín, meaning "little ringfort") is a small village in County Laois south of Portlaoise in Ireland.
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Raheen has an imposing Catholic church, dating from 1857. The first Catholic church, a thatched chapel, was built in 1729; the site was granted by a Protestant family named Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin granted the land after seeing poor Catholics assembled at Mass in a deep pit, which is called The Mass Pit even to the present time.
“ | The poorer sort of Irish natives," wrote an English tourist in 1746, "are Roman Catholics, who make no scruple to assemble in the open fields. As we passed yesterday in a by-road, we saw a priest under a tree, with a large assembly about him, celebrating Mass in his proper habit; and though at a great distance from him, we heard him distinctly. These sort of people seem to be very solemn and sincere in their religion. [1] | ” |
The grave-yard in the village marks the site of the old thatched chapel.
In 1916 rising some members of the IRA derailed a train by the woods in this village.
[1] Chetwood's Tour through Ireland, p. 163.