Rahan Demesne

41 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Rahan Demesne, from 162 m² to 474,118 m² (47.41 ha, 117.16 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 25 neighbouring parcels touch it.

Download the townland: DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings; GeoJSON or KML.

• R2Existing Residential (Existing residential)
  Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027, Offaly · 7 parcels The zoning objective in the plan
• G5Open Space, Amenity and Recreation (Mixed/general 'green'/recreation/conservation, other)
  Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027, Offaly · 4 parcels The zoning objective in the plan
• M1Village Centre/Mixed Use (Mixed Use, general development, opportunity/proposal site)
  Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027, Offaly · 3 parcels The zoning objective in the plan
• R1New Residential (New/proposed residential)
  Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027, Offaly · 1 parcels The zoning objective in the plan
• C3Enterprise and Employment (Office, business/technology park and related)
  Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027, Offaly · 0 parcels The zoning objective in the plan
• R4Strategic Residential Reserve
  Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027, Offaly · 0 parcels The zoning objective in the plan

Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.

• 2 Sept 2026N/a

  CONSTRUCTION OF NEW DWELLING HOUSE, DOMESTIC GARAGE, SEPTIC TANK/ETS, PERCOLATION AREA AND ASSOCIATED SITE WORKS

  Permission · Offaly County Council, 2677

• 16 Sept 2025Conditional

  (1) demolition of 2 no. existing agricultural farm buildings; (2) change of use of 2 no. stone outbuildings into 2 no.1-bed self catering tourist accommodation cottages, (3) change of use of a disused agricultural building to accommodate plant, laundry, amenity building and private workshop & storage (4) Change of use of a disused agricultural building into a Sauna & Changing Places Accessible toilet (5) Change of use of disused agricultural building to bike shed (6) relocation of existing farm entrance to provide entrance for tourist accommodation cottages; (7) car-parking; (8) new wastewater treatment system & percolation area; (9) soakaways and (10) all associated refurbishment, landscaping and all ancillary site works.

  Permission · Offaly County Council, 2560424

• 30 Jul 2025N/a

  (1) demolition of 2 no. existing agricultural farm buildings; (2) change of use of 2 no. stone outbuildings into 2 no.1-bed self catering tourist accommodation cottages, (3) change of use of a disused agricultural building to accommodate plant, laundry, amenity building and private workshop & storage (4) Change of use of a disused agricultural building into a Changing Places Accessible toilet (5) relocation of existing farm entrance to provide entrance for tourist accommodation cottages; (6) car-parking; (7) new wastewater treatment system & percolation area; (8) soakaways and (9) all associated refurbishment, landscaping and all ancillary site works.

  Permission · Offaly County Council, 2560340

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

• Proposed Natural Heritage Area: Grand Canal 002104

Recorded monuments

• OF016-014 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Not visible at ground level. Situated on low-lying wet land that has been reclaimed with nearby tree-ring in the adjoining field. Depicted as a ringfort on the first edition of the OS 6-inch map. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF016-015001 Church
  Description

  National Monument No. 82. Associated with St. Carthach who founded a monastery here in the sixth century. Present remains consist of two churches, a possible tower house an Early Christian cross-slab (Crawford 1916, 166) which was unlocated. The Protestant nave and chancel church is built around the chancel of a Romanesque cruciform church the N transept of which can still be seen while the nave was built in 1732 (Harbison 1970, 206-7). Inside the church are the well preserved remains of a triple ordered chancel arch with modern E window and original rose window which may originally have been located in the W gable is now located in the apex of E gable (Harbison 1970, 206-7). A small narrow round arched door on N and S wall of chancel gives access to the destroyed barrel vaulted transepts. To the E of this church are the remains of a rectangular church (OF016-015010) with fine Romanesque single ordered W door which was incorporated into a 15 - 16th century church. Directly over W door there is a rectangular slit window, round arched window of Romanesque date at W end of S wall, late medieval single light ogee window at E end of S wall and single light ogee window in E gable. The possible tower house (OF016-015009-) which has been previously classified as a church is located in the E corner of the Roman Catholic cemetery and is poorly preserved with traces of a barrel vault over the ground floor the springing of which is visible at the E end of the building, no other architectural features are visible. Two fragments of a late medieval floriated graveslab with partial inscription were recently found in the graveyard (OF016-015002-). Large ecclesiastical enclosure (OF015-015005-) now utilised as field boundaries to the S, E and W. 3D models of the chancel arch and of the Romanesque round window can be downloaded from Offaly County Council website at www.offaly.ie/eng/Services/Heritage/Archaeology/3D_Surveying_of_Archaeological_Monuments/ (O' Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 48-9; Stanley 1870-1, 27-9; Johnson-Newman 1971, 169-70) Testing was carried out under licence no. 04E0759 in advance of proposed drainage works in the graveyard located on the south side of St Carthage's Church, Rahan, Co. Offaly. The nave-and-chancel church is still used by the Church of Ireland and the interior of the church building is badly affected by damp, especially in the chancel area. Testing was carried out to assess the impact of these drainage works on any potential archaeological features and finds in the vicinity of the church. This involved the manual excavation of two trenches in the area of the graveyard adjacent to the south side of the church building, to ascertain the archaeological nature of the soil that has accumulated to a height of 1m against the external facade of the nave and chancel walls. There are a number of post-medieval grave markers visible in the vicinity of the south wall of the church and the test-trenches were laid out in order to avoid these. A number of east-west-orientated skeletons were uncovered following the removal of the topsoil layer in both test-trenches. These were all contained in unmarked graves with no visible traces of coffin remains; they were left in situ. Following consultation, it was agreed that no further excavation was required at this time, as the testing had confirmed that there were unmarked burials located in the vicinity of the area to be impacted on by the proposed drainage works (Excavations Bulletin 2004). Tony Cummins for Sheila Lane and Associates, AE House, Monahan Road, Cork. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 April 2009

• OF016-015002 Graveyard
  Description

  This ecclesiastical complex consists of two churches (OF016-015001/010) and a possible tower house (OF016-015009-), with one church (OF016-015001-) in good condition and the other two buildings in ruins. One is presently used as a Church of Ireland church (OF016-015001-). The graveyard attached to the S of this church is enclosed a stone wall of 19th century date and contains many fine examples of 18th and 19th century headstones. Two fragments of a late medieval floriated graveslab with partial inscription were recently found in the graveyard (OF016-015002-). Testing was carried out under licence no. 04E0759 in advance of proposed drainage works in the graveyard located on the south side of St Carthage's Church, Rahan, Co. Offaly. The nave-and-chancel church is still used by the Church of Ireland and the interior of the church building is badly affected by damp, especially in the chancel area. Testing was carried out to assess the impact of these drainage works on any potential archaeological features and finds in the vicinity of the church. This involved the manual excavation of two trenches in the area of the graveyard adjacent to the south side of the church building, to ascertain the archaeological nature of the soil that has accumulated to a height of 1m against the external facade of the nave and chancel walls. There are a number of post-medieval grave markers visible in the vicinity of the south wall of the church and the test-trenches were laid out in order to avoid these. A number of east-west-orientated skeletons were uncovered following the removal of the topsoil layer in both test-trenches. These were all contained in unmarked graves with no visible traces of coffin remains; they were left in situ. Following consultation, it was agreed that no further excavation was required at this time, as the testing had confirmed that there were unmarked burials located in the vicinity of the area to be impacted on by the proposed drainage works (Excavations Bulletin 2004). Tony Cummins for Sheila Lane and Associates, AE House, Monahan Road, Cork. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 April 2009

• OF016-015003 Cross-slab
  Description

  Described by Crawford as 'the lower portion of a slab 1 ft. 6 in. by 1 ft. 6 in. incised with a two lined latin cross, surrounded by a single line ring below which the shaft begins, across the stone are traces of four lines of lettering' (Crawford 1916, 166; JAPMDI vol. ix, 105). Not visible at ground level. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF016-015004 Field system
  Description

  Numerous earthworks within the ecclesiastical enclosure (OF016-015005-) of Rahan monastery, some of which appear to be the wall footings of medieval buildings, others are of small field enclosures containing cultivation ridges, while other earthworks are drainage channels of 19th century date. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 28 December 2011

• OF016-015005 Ecclesiastical enclosure
  Description

  Modern field boundaries follow the line of the ecclesiastical enclosure from E through S to N with river at N. Described by Stanley (1870-1, 27-9) as two earthen banks which encircled Rahan monastery (OF016-015----) with an entrance at S. Aerial photographs (CUCAP, ATC 63; CUCAP, BDT 103) shows outline of ecclesiastical enclosure with internal divisions and earthworks. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF016-015006 Sheela-na-gig
  Description

  Discovered in 1971 in the ruined walls of the church or possible tower house (OF016-015009-) in the cemetery to the S of the present Church of Ireland church (OF016-015001-) which may have come out of an excavation for a burial N of and adjacent to the NW angle of the building (Newman Johnson 1971, 169-70). Described by Johnson as a figure carved in relief on a limestone block (H 0.37m; Wth 0.35m; D 0.25m) with flexed legs and large head with hair depicted by pitting and beading around the lip to indicate teeth. Described by Freitag (2004, 138) as 'a singular V-shaped groove starting in forehead of Sheela runs across top of head through to rear of block, and is inclined towards back of stone. Big head with hair or tight-fitting cap, wavy lines across forehead, prominent brow ridges, broad wrinkled nose and beading round upper lip, possibly representing teeth. Powerful shoulders; both arms somewhat mutilated. V-shaped vulva with indented ring around it. Wide open thighs; leg bent and held back behind body by hands'. The sheela-na-gig has been recently mounted on the wall inside the recently conserved C of I church under the guidance of the National Museum of Ireland. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload/revision: 01 May 2014

• OF016-015009 Castle - tower house
  Description

  Associated with St. Carthach who founded a monastery here in the sixth century. Present remains consist of two churches (OF016-015001-; OF016-015010-), a graveyard (OF016-015002-), a possible tower house, a monastic enclosure (OF016-015005-) and an unlocated Early Christian cross-slab (OF016-015003-). Depicted as 'Abbey (in Ruins)' on current edition of the OS 6-inch map. The possible tower house (ext. dims. 5.4m N-S x 10.1m E-W; wall T 0.8-1m) with slight base batter has been previously classified as a church is located in the E corner of the Roman Catholic cemetery and is poorly preserved with traces of a barrel vault over the ground floor the springing of which is visible at the E end of the building, no other architectural features are visible. John O'Donovan speculated in the OS Letters that 'the old vault standing near the old Church of Rahan is a part of this castle [Anglo-Norman castle]' (O'Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 49). A sheela-na-gig (OF016-015006-) was discovered in 1971 in the ruined walls of a possible tower house which may have come out of an excavation for a burial N of and adjacent to the NW angle of the castle (Newman Johnson 1971, 169-70). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload/revision: 28 December 2011

• OF016-015010 Church
  Description

  National Monument No. 82. Associated with St. Carthach who founded a monastery here in the sixth century. Present remains consist of two churches (OF016-015001; OF016-015010), a graveyard (OF016-015002-), a possible tower house (OF016-015009-), a monastic enclosure (OF016-015005-) and an unlocated Early Christian cross-slab (OF016-015003-). To the E of the Church of Ireland church (OF016-015001-) are the remains of a rectangular church (ext. dims. 11.8m E-W; 6.95m N-S; wall T 0.75m) with fine Romanesque single ordered W door which was incorporated into a 15 - 16th century church. Directly over W door there is a rectangular slit window, round arched window of Romanesque date at W end of S wall, late medieval single light ogee window at E end of S wall and single light ogee window in E gable. A 3D model of the Romanesque doorway and of the church can be downloaded from Offaly County Council website at www.offaly.ie/eng/Services/Heritage/Archaeology/3D_Surveying_of_Archaeological_Monuments/ Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF016-015011 Graveslab
  Description

  Inside the Romanesque Church of Ireland church (OF016-015001-) at Rahan there is a large limestone 17th century graveslab inserted into the N wall of the nave located bear the NE corner of the nave, this graveslab has a skull and crossbones at the base of the slab with initials CM (Charles Molloy) below a Maltese cross carved in relief and above this the date 1683 (Fitzpatrick and O' Brien 1988, 145-6). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF016-015012 Graveslab
  Description

  In 1914 Walter Fitzgerald recorded two fragments of what he described as a plain shaft of a limestone cross placed to the right of the west doorway of the Church of Ireland building (OF016-015001-). Faint traces of an inscription revealed that this cross was carved in 1616 by Cormack O Boghaile (JAPMDI 9, no. 2, 1914, 106). Two pieces of the upper end of this floriated graveslab have been rediscovered recently in the graveyard (OF016-015002-). They are now lying up against the inner face of the W wall of the graveyard to the W of the doorway of the Church of Ireland Church (Fitzpatrick and O'Brien 1988, 145-6). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF016-015013 Cross-slab
  Description

  Inside the Romanesque Church of Ireland church (OF016-015001-) at Rahan there is small sandstone cross-inscribed stone inserted into the N wall of the chancel directly over the doorway near the NE angle of the chancel that leads into the mural stairs in E wall of the church. May originally have been an early Christian cross-slab. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF016-015014 Bullaun stone
  Description

  Possible remains of a partially destroyed bullaun stone now lying on the ground inside the monastic enclosure and in the 19th century millrace to the N of the Church of Ireland church (OF016-015001-) at Rahan. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF016-015015 Architectural fragment
  Description

  Beautifully carved scalloped capital of a Romanesque doorway can be found inside the C of I church at Rahan where it is being stored for safe keeping. May have belonged to original Romanesque doorway into the church at Rahan Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF016-015016 Architectural fragment
  Description

  Romanesque architectural fragment that was originally part of a possible hood moulding of a doorway or of a window that is decorated in a foliage patten very similar to the hood moulding over the W doorway of the little church and from the outer surround of the circular window. This fragment has been incorporated into the base of the outer face of the graveyard wall on the S side of the C of I church (OF016-015001-) Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF016-058 Road - class 3 togher
  Description

  The site (L 2.03m; Wth 1.04m; D 0.06m) is orientated E-W and consists of the remains of a hurdle panel on the field surface. It is composed of longitudinal brushwood (diam. 0.04-0.045m) and twigs, 2-3 pieces deep, with the fragmented remains of some sails. The wood is in good condition, with some metal-cut toolmarks evident, although the top of the site has been disturbed by milling. The site sits in moderately humified Sphagnum peat with occasional ericaceous remains. Compiled by: Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (University College Dublin). Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF016-059 Structure - peatland
  Description

  A piece of brushwood (L 0.55m; diam. 0.03m) with a metal-cut wedge point. It was situated in poorly humified Sphagnum peat with Eriophorum. Recorded by the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (University College, Dublin) in 1997. The evidence is not sufficient to warrant its acceptance as the remains of an archaeological monument. The original survey description was compiled by the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (University College, Dublin). Assessed and revised by: Caimin O'Brien, Paul Walsh Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF016-085 Barrow - ditch barrow
  Description

  Cropmark of ring-ditch (diam. c. 5m) Google Earth photograph taken 18/01/2019. See attached Google Earth orthoimages Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by Jean-Charles Caillère Date of upload: 14 January 2022

Architectural heritage

• Rahan Bridge, bridge, 1735–1850 · Regional interest
  Description

  Triple-arch masonry road bridge, built in 1736, over the River Clodiagh, with sigle-arch section, built in 1850, by P.J. Klasen, district engineer. Earlier phase of random rubble with V-shaped cutwaters. Semicircular arches and voussoirs of roughly dressed stonework. Later phase with skew masonry arch. Abutments of rock-faced limestone blocks, laid to courses, with rusticated and margined quoins. Finely dressed string course. Parapet coped with rusticated blocks. Plaques in both downstream parapets giving dates of construction.

• Saint Carthach's Church (Rahan), church/chapel, 1150–1200 · National interest
  Description

  Detached two-bay single-storey Romanesque church, originally cruciform; built c.1175 with nave largely rebuilt 1732. Set within graveyard. Pitched slate roof with cast-iron rainwater goods and cross finial. Roughcast render to walls. Round-headed windows to nave with timber stained glass tracery windows and tooled limestone sills, Romanesque window to chancel with chevron design to window-head, flanked by engaged columns with oculus window above, ogee-headed window to north with carved limestone surround with animal head decoration. Round-headed door opening to nave with timber battened door with cast-iron furniture and boot scrapper and stained glass fanlight and date plaque of 1732 above. Set within graveyard with upstanding and recumbent headstones, bounded by random rubble wall and wrought-iron gate. Cemetery to south.

• Mill House, house, 1800–1840 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1820, now derelict. Set back from road. Pitched slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles, rendered chimneystacks and some cast-iron rainwater goods. Timber sash windows with tooled stone sills. Square-headed door opening with timber battened door. Farmyard to rear with rendered outbuildings with pitched corrugated roofs. Set back from road with random coursed wall and timber gate to front of site.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

Radon

About 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

Susceptibility low, low (inferred), on the 1:50,000 map.

Terrain model

LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_1852 (ZIP).

Flooding

The flood maps of the Office of Public Works: floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency; Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland; both CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

No address of the register names Rahan Demesne with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Offaly.

Name

Rahan Demesne · Raithean

Area

1,581,240 m² (158.12 ha, 390.73 acres)

Civil parish

Rahan, and its townlands

Barony

Ballycowan

Electoral division

Rahan, the unit of the census

Census 2022

Rahan electoral division: 753 people in 243 households; 88% of households own their home; 25% of homes were built since 2001; 8% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 0% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Aghadonagh, Ballindrinan, Loughroe, Newtown, Rabbitburrow, Roscore Demesne, Tullybeg

Placenames

Rahan Demesne on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics by electoral division, Central Statistics Office, CC BY 4.0. A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address; old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.