Raheen, County Wexford

Raheen (Irish: An Ráithín, meaning 'small ringfort')^[1] is a townland and village in County Wexford, Ireland. It lies 27 km from Wexford, 11 km from New Ross, and 23 km from Enniscorthy.

Raheen An Ráithín
Village
Raheen Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°23′31″N 6°47′38″W
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Wexford
Elevation	48 m (157 ft)
Time zone	UTC+0 (WET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-1 (IST (WEST))
Irish Grid Reference	S821273

History

Raheen, in Irish An Ráithín, means 'little rath or ringfort'.^[1] There are several ringfort (rath) sites in the area, including in the townlands of Raheennahennedy, Raheenarostia, Raheenaclonagh and Courthoyle New.^[2]

For most of the Norman period, the area was controlled by the Howell family. They gave their name to nearby "Courthoyle", where they had a chapel and castle.^{[citation needed]}

During the Irish Rebellion of 1798, one of the main rebel camps was located at nearby Carrigbyrne Hill.^[3]

A Roman Catholic (R.C.) church previously existed at Courthoyle, near the village of Raheen. The current R.C. church of Raheen dates from 1814.^[4]

A Protestant church that once existed in the townland of Templeshelin (located about 1 km away) has since been demolished. This belonged to the former Church of Ireland parish of Adamstown. The adjacent cemetery is still in existence and contains some of the victims of the Scullabogue barn fire that took place during the Irish Rebellion of 1798, as well as a small number of other graves.^{[citation needed]}

Amenities

Raheen village has a national (primary) school,^[5] a shop, a Roman Catholic church,^[6] a childcare centre, a community centre, and several houses. There is also a cemetery located about half a kilometre away at Courthoyle. Raheen's Catholic church, a curacy, is part of the Catholic parish of Newbawn. The parish church is located at Newbawn.

Sport

The local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club is Adamstown GAA Club. The club's main pitch is located at Adamstown, about 3–4 km away. However, there is another pitch located at Newbawn that is sometimes also used. Rounders is also played in Raheen.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

Further reading

• Brooks, Eric St. John (1950), Knights' Fees in Counties Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny (13th-15th century), Dublin: Government Stationery Office