Rathlee

249 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Rathlee, from 17 m² to 126,737 m² (12.67 ha, 31.32 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 56 neighbouring parcels touch it.

No zone of a development plan covers Rathlee in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply to each application.

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

• 24 Aug 2026N/a

  The development consists of 1. Construction of new Community Centre. 2. Installation of onsite wastewater treatment system and percolation area. 3. Provide disabled compliant car parking bay and general parking to the proposed Community Centre by extending existing Church car park. 4. Carryout all associated and ancillary works.

  Permission · Sligo County Council, 2660337

• 17 Jul 2026Conditional

  Construct new dwelling house, proprietary effluent treatment plant and percolation area, together with all associated site works

  Permission, 1 home · Sligo County Council, 2660290

• 18 Nov 2025Conditional

  alterations and extensions to an existing house, construction of a new garage and installation of a new wastewater treatment system and for all associated site works

  Permission · Sligo County Council, 2560482

• 2 Nov 2025Conditional

  construction of a dwelling house, domestic garage, new site entrance. and on-site wastewater treatment system together with ancillary site development works

  Permission, 1 home · Sligo County Council, 2560457

• 5 Sept 2024Conditional

  Planning permission to: (1) Retain location of the dwelling house to that granted under PL00/885, and PL01/1061. (2) Retain conservatory extension to the side of existing dwelling, (3) retain domestic garage, together with the carrying out of all associated ancillary site works

  Retention, 1 home · Sligo County Council, 2460288

• 18 Jun 2024Conditional

  The development shall consist of the following: Removal of existing glazed porch and replace with new block-built porch. with lean-to roof and rooflight, finish to match existing. Proposed rear extension with flat roof and lean-to roof. Replace defective flat roof covering with new membrane anthracite grey in colour. Provision of new rooflights to existing flat roof. Alterations to rear elevation including removal of existing windows and portion of blockwork to provide new windows and door. Removal of existing internal walls fireplace and chimney. Addition of new pitched roof on roadside elevation in place of existing flat roof.

  Retention · Sligo County Council, 2460212

• 22 Apr 2022Conditional

  Development consisting of recessing existing roadside boundary - facilitating the construction of car parking/set down area. Proposed works will consist of: (1) the removal of existing roadside boundary wall; (2) construction of car parking/set down areas; (3) construction of new recessed boundary wall and pedestrian footpath; (4) carrying out of all associated ancillary site works

  Permission · Sligo County Council, 22140

• 10 Feb 2022Conditional

  (1) demolition of existing derelict dwelling, (2) construction of a new single storey dwelling house, (3) installation of a new septic tank and percolation area and (4) connection to existing public water supply

  Extension of duration, 1 home · Sligo County Council, 11284

• 8 Feb 2022N/a

  Development consisting of maintenance of the existing shop as a retail unit to let, to repair and extend the roof over the shop to join the main house, relocate the existing front garden wall inwards to allow the street footpath to continue across the front of the site, to mark the existing parking to the front to formalise two car spaces plus one accessible space. Application for tea-room street furniture to the front, conversion of the existing street front workshop to a professional kitchen, adding 0.89m to the roof level to allow for a mezzanine storage level, maintaining the rear ground floor storage and conversion of its first floor storage to studio apartment for staff, extending the coal shed to be toilet facilities for the Tea Rooms. Change-of-use of the existing house to a B&B plus staff facilities to include staff room, showers, kitchenette, and all ancillary site works including new percolation areas, rainwater harvesting and drainage.

  Permission, 1 home · Sligo County Council, 2242

• 7 Sept 2021Conditional

  Development consisting of (1) Retain fenestration changes and additional windows to side and rear elevations (2) Convert attic to habitable rooms including velux windows, (3) Install septic tank, treatment modules and percolation area (4) all ancillary site works. (Previous application PL05/778 refers)

  Retention · Sligo County Council, 21355

• 27 May 2021Conditional

  development consisting of the construction of 1 no. dwelling house with packaged wastewater treatment system and raised polishing filter including all other ancillary site work and services

  Extension of duration, 1 home · Sligo County Council, 16449

• 4 Sept 2020Conditional

  development consisting of the construction of a part two-storey and part single-storey dwelling house, provision of a domestic garage, provision of an effluent treatment system and all associated site works

  Permission, 1 home · Sligo County Council, 20294

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

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches the townland of Rathlee.

Recorded monuments

• SL010-002 Enclosure
  Description

  Situated adjacent to a low cliff at the E side of Killala Bay. Trapezoidal area (36m N-S; 32m E-W at N end, 17m at S end) defined at W by the cliff edge and elsewhere by a low bank of earth and stone (Wth. 2.3m; H 1m) with suggestions of a possible external fosse at NE. Original entrance not recognisable. In the NE quadrant is an irregularly-shaped depression (max. dim. 6m; D 0.7m) of unknown significance. (ITA Survey 1942-4). Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 19 January 2011

• SL010-003001 Enclosure
  Description

  Situated at the W edge of a low N-S ridge. The site has been levelled. It comprised a saucer-shaped area (diam. c. 10-15m) defined by a bank of earth and stone. When it was levelled three or four large stones were uncovered within the centre of the internal area (local information). Also uncovered was a midden composed of sea shells (see SL010-003002-). The site was known locally as 'an poll mór' (local information). Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 19 January 2011

• SL010-003002 Midden
  Description

  Not marked on any edition of the OS 6-inch map. The midden, composed of sea shells, was uncovered during the levelling of a small, saucer-shaped enclosure (local information; see SL010-003001-). No remains visible at ground level. Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 19 January 2011

• SL010-004 Enclosure
  Description

  On slightly elevated level coastal pasture. Depicted as a circular embanked enclosure (diam. 15-20m) on the 1837 OS 6-inch map, bordered at N by an E–W field boundary and at E by a N–S boundary. It is not shown on the 1913 OS 6-inch map. No visible trace. Located c. 65m to NW in the same field is a roughly rectangular area (c. 21m E-W; 25m N-S) of uneven ground marked by a growth of long grass. It is defined on the E side by a low, narrow bank (Wth. 0.8-1m; H 0.2-0.5m) which appears to be a relict field fence. During field inspection in 1993 this feature was mistaken for remains of the enclosure shown on the 1837 OS map. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 8 November 2013

• SL010-026 Enclosure
  Description

  Not marked on any edition of the OS 6-inch map. Situated in rough pasture adjacent to the E shore of Killala Bay. Small rectangular area (14m E-W; 10m N-S) defined at S and W by the fragmentary remains of a low bank or wall. There are no surface remains of an enclosing element on the other two sides. Of uncertain antiquity. Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 19 January 2011

• SL010-029 Mound
  Description

  Situated on a W-facing slope on the E shore of Killala Bay. Not marked on any edition of the OS 6-inch map. Identified by Timoney M.A. (1993, pers. comm.). Small mound of sand and stone (max. dim. 8m E-W) which has been largely removed at N and NE as a consequence of quarrying. It ranges in height between 0.5m (at E and SE) and 1.6m (at W). Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 19 January 2011

• SL011-025001 Signal tower
  Description

  Situated on level ground within the modern dispersed rural settlement of Rathlee (29mOD), and approximately c. 820m ESE of the coastline at its nearest point. Located within enclosed pasture with a minor road to the S. The site has unobstructed views in all directions. Creevagh Signal Tower, Mayo (MA007-015002-), located c. 15.7kms to the WNW, has been demolished and can no longer be seen from the site. The view to the ruinous Lenadoon Point Signal Tower (SL010-001002-), located c. 1.7kms to the NNW, is blocked by intervening buildings; and the view to the well-preserved Carrowmably\Carrowmabla Signal Tower (SL012-008003-), located c. 10.6kms to the ENE, is blocked by intervening forestry. An undated kitchen midden (SL011-025002-) is located 13.5m NE of the signal tower at Rathlee, and the site of a possible souterrain (SL011-096----) is located c. 38m to the NW. An early nineteenth-century (c. 1804-6) two-storey square-plan signal tower, built with roughly coursed rubble stone masonry (int. dims. 4.28m N-S x 4.28m E-W; H. c. 11.9m). Extensive sections of roughcast lime render survive to the exterior elevations, particularly to the N, W and E elevations. The N wall features the first floor doorway that would have been accessed via a retractable ladder. This doorway retains a fine cut stone block-and-start surround, cut stone lintel over with central projecting keystone, and a cut stone threshold\sill. A narrow but well-preserved rectangular machicolation is present above the doorway, supported by five small rendered corbels. A row of four small square holes runs across the wall below the doorway at ground floor level, which may be putlog holes used to support scaffolding during the construction of the tower. The two holes in the middle of the N wall are set slightly lower than the outer two holes. Only the inner pair of holes pass through the body of the wall. The E and W walls feature pairs of square-headed windows (with splayed reveals) to the ground floor and first floor levels. The windows to the W elevation at first floor level retain cut stone block-and-start surrounds, cut stone lintels over with central projecting keystones, and cut stone sills, which are now missing to the other window openings. The N ground floor window on the W wall has been opened up to act as a ground level entrance to the structure. The opening has spread northwards and the NE corner of the building is missing from ground level up to the top of the window opening. The S wall bows slightly outwards to house the chimney flue. An intact chimneystack extends from the top of the S wall\parapet, which retains cut stone coping over. There are numerous shallow holes in the S wall, distributed without an obvious pattern. They resemble putlog holes, but may have had a different purpose. Two of the holes pass through the wall and mirror the position of the two central holes on the N wall. Rounded rendered rubble stone bartizans are located on the SE and SW corners of the signal tower, supported by rounded rubble stonework corbels. In the centre of the S wall there is a modern grey incised stone plaque that reads ‘Rathlee Signalling Tower. In memory of those who worked here and all who perished at sea. 2nd July 2006.’ To the right of this is an older white stone [marble] sign that reads ‘Ruin of O’Dowd castle Lochtar Rath a seat of Kings of Tirerach.’ To the right of the white sign there is a large dressed stone block incorporated into the body of the wall. The stone block features a small square hole in its centre. Behind the hole there is a heavy metal sphere that appears to be a small cannon ball, secured in place by a solidly-anchored horizontal metal bar. The painted words ‘Castle Cannon Ball’ are faintly visible on the stone block. It is not thought that any of the signal towers were ever equipped with cannon, so the origin of this object is unclear. The internal space consists of a semi-basement level, a ground-floor room with a split mezzanine level, a first-floor room, and a low attic level. The flat roof had been accessible from the first floor level, and a rubble stone parapet wall protects the edge of the roof and connects to the bartizans and the machicolation. No evidence of surviving coping to the parapet wall. The floors and the roof of the building had been wooden and were carried in the thickness of the wall. No parts of the floors or the roof have survived, but rows of joist-holes indicate their former positions. The interior walls feature large sections of surviving lime render. The semi-basement is largely infilled with soil, and is only exposed at the NW corner of the signal tower. The S wall features central square-headed fireplaces at ground and first floors, each with flanking square-headed alcoves. The ground floor alcoves retain thick layers of render. In the W alcove the impression of four thick shelves are visible in the render. In the E alcove the impression of two shelves are visible at the top of the alcove. A rubble stone seat\plinth with a curved back protruding into the body of the wall occupies the lower part of the east alcove. The two square holes that pass through the central part of the S wall emerge to either side of the top of the fireplace. These holes line up with the two holes that pass through the N wall. The arrangement suggests that two large wooden beams passed through the ground floor room, possibly introduced as a stabilisation measure. A well-preserved World War II-era lookout lost (L.O.P. 65) is located 4.9m N of the signal tower. A concrete trigonometry pillar is located 3.3m E of the signal tower. A small lime kiln, which was possibly used during the construction of the tower, is located in a bank 15m to the N of the signal tower. Modern stone walls, paved courtyard opening to roadway to S, and timber seating to S. The signal tower was part of a system of over 80 signal stations constructed by the British Board of Ordnance in the first decade of the 19th century to warn of the approach of a French invasion fleet. Signalling between sites was accomplished using a naval signal post. The system formed a continuous chain from Dublin Bay running clockwise all the way around the coast to Malin Head in County Donegal. It was abandoned by the mid-1810s when the threat of a French invasion diminished (Kerrigan 1995, 157-66). Compiled by: Stuart Rathbone Uploaded on 10\11\21 Images: SL011-025001-.01 N exterior SL011-025001-.02 N exterior, detail of doorway SL011-025001-.03 S exterior SL011-025001-.04 E exterior SL011-025001-.05 W exterior 1 SL011-025001-.06 W exterior 2 SL011-025001-.07 W exterior 3 SL011-025001-.08 SE exterior oblique view SL011-025001-.09 SW exterior oblique view SL011-025001-.10 Cannon ball insitu to S elevation SL011-025001-.11 Modern plaque to S elevation SL011-025001-.12 Plaque to S elevation SL011-025001-.13 Stone block with painted plaque to S elevation SL011-025001-.14 S interior 1 SL011-025001-.15 S interior 2 SL011-025001-.16 S interior 3 SL011-025001-.17 E interior 1 SL011-025001-.18 E interior 2 SL011-025001-.19 E interior 3 SL011-025001-.20 N interior 1 SL011-025001-.21 N interior 2 SL011-025001-.22 N interior 3 SL011-025001-.23 W interior 1 SL011-025001-.24 W interior 2 SL011-025001-.25 W interior 3 SL011-025001-.26 NW interior oblique SL011-025001-.27 SW interior oblique SL011-025001-.28 N exterior drawing SL011-025001-.29 E exterior drawing SL011-025001-.30 S exterior drawing SL011-025001-.31 W exterior drawing SL011-025001-.32 N interior drawing SL011-025001-.33 E interior drawing SL011-025001-.34 S interior drawing SL011-025001-.35 W interior drawing SL011-025001-.36 Plan of site SL011-025001-.37 Lookout post to the N, view from SE SL011-025001-.38 Concrete trigonometr

• SL011-025002 Midden
  Description

  Situated on a gentle NNE slope overloking the Atlantic Ocean in coastal pasture. Mary Timoney (1989, pers. comm.) recorded a kitchen midden here. No remains now visible at ground level. Compiled by: Mark Keegan Date of upload: 19 January 2011

• SL011-026 Enclosure
  Description

  Situated on slight ESE-facing slope in gently undulating pasture. The site is depicted on the 1913 edition of the OS 6-inch map as an oval-shaped enclosure. The E half of the site has since been removed. Remains comprise a roughly semi-circular area (9m N-S; 7m E-W) enclosed by a bank (Wth 3.5m; H 0.3m) of earth and stone. From NNE-E-S-W the bank is absent. The original entrance is not recognisable. Compiled by: Mark Keegan Date of upload: 19 January 2011

• SL011-027 Souterrain
  Description

  Situated on slight SW-facing slope of low hillock in gently undulating pasture. Position of entrance is marked as 'Cave' on 1913 edition of OS 6-inch map. The entrance to the site is now blocked by a small pile of rubble stone (1.6m sq; H 0.2m). The passage is not accessible. According to local information, the souterrain is of drystone construction and consists of a number of interconnected chambers (SMR Files). Compiled by: Mark Keegan Date of upload: 19 January 2011

• SL011-063 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  In lowlying average pasture, located on a low rise. Indicated as a semicircular enclosure, curving from SE-N, on the 1836 OS 6-inch map. This rath consists of a slightly raised circular area (int. diam. 27.5m) defined on the W half by an earthen bank (Wth 4.5m; int. H 0.8m; ext. H 1.6m, at NW) with an external fosse (Wth 2-2.5m; D 0.3m) evident as a shallow depression. The bank and fosse have been levelled on the E half. There is a possible souterrain (SL011-063001-) in the SW quadrant of the interior. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 28 July 2016

• SL011-063001 Souterrain
  Description

  In a rath (SL011-063----). There is a possible souterrain in the SW quadrant of the rath. The location is marked by two large stones embedded in a small surface hollow. According to local information, the stones cover a stone-built shaft. This feature may be a ventilation shaft of a souterrain. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 28 July 2016

• SL011-064 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  In pasture, located on a low rise. Slighlty raised subcircular area (diam. 17.4m NE–SW) defined by degraded remnants of an earthen bank (Wth 2.3m; int. H 0.15m; ext. H 0.4m). The S half of the interior appears to be slightly higher. The entrance may have been at SSE where there is a gap (Wth 2m), now partly blocked with boulders. Field clearance stones and boulders are spread over the S and SE of the interior. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 15 April 2013

• SL011-096 Souterrain
  Description

  In pasture, on a gently N-facing slope. According to local information, a stone-built souterrain at this location was blocked up in the past. A slight surface hollow (diam. 3-4m) is evident in the slope. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 6 November 2013

• SL011-144 Burnt mound
  Description

  In level, lowlying damp pasture. Ground rises gradually c. 100m to S. Roughly circular mound (9.5m N–S; 10m E–W; H 0.6m at W, 0.7m at NE) composed of a dense concentration of heat-shattered stones in a matrix of dark brown/black charcoal-rich soil. The mound is marked by a covering of grass which is greener than the surrounding rush-grown pasture. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 31 December 2013

• SL011-145 Enclosure
  Description

  In level, lowlying average pasture. There is a spring well c. 50m to SSE. This enclosure survives as a very low-profile, subrectangular or roughly trapezoidal area (34m E–W; 38m N–S at W, 27m at E) defined on the N, E and S by a slight scarp (H 0.3-0.4m) outside which is a shallow fosse (Wth 2.5-3m; D 0.4m). The enclosing elements are poorly defined but more easily traced on the E and S sides. The enclosure is bordered on the W side by a modern field fence/property boundary flanked by field ditches. Roughly in the centre of the E half of the interior is a shallow oblong depression (9-10m N–S; 6m E-W). Outside the fosse at S is a slightly raised, flat-topped area (Wth 7m N–S) bordered on its S side by a traces of another fosse or field ditch. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 31 December 2013

Architectural heritage

• House, 1780–1820 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached four-bay single-storey thatched house, built c. 1800. Gabled straw thatch roof, cement skews, unpainted rendered chimneystacks one with stepped capping. Painted smooth-rendered walling. Square-headed window openings, painted masonry sills, painted two-over two timber sash window to south end and six-over-three to north end. Square-headed door opening, painted timber vertically-sheeted entrance door. Set back from roadside with farmyard and single- and two-storey outbuildings to north and west.

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).

• Rathlee, Easkey9 sales

Name

Rathlee · Ráth Lao

Area

3,769,138 m² (376.91 ha, 931.37 acres)

Civil parish

Easky, and its townlands

Barony

Tireragh

Electoral division

Easky West, the unit of the census

Neighbouring townlands

Cabragh, Cabraghkeel, Carrowmacbryan, Carrownrod, Carrownrush, Carrowpadeen, Cooga, Finned

Placenames

Rathlee on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, 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.