Rathnarrow

4 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Rathnarrow, from 6,429 m² (0.64 ha, 1.59 acres) to 199,417 m² (19.94 ha, 49.28 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 7 neighbouring parcels touch it.

No zone of a development plan covers Rathnarrow 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.

No planning application touches the townland of Rathnarrow in the national file, which goes back to 2010.

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 Rathnarrow.

Recorded monuments

• WM020-087 Barrow - ring-barrow
  Description

  Monument surveyed in 2015 and described by McGuinness (2015, 66-7) as following: ‘Rectangular or partly sub-rectangular earthen embanked enclosure with external ditch and raised interior containing what appears to be a denuded ring-barrow at its N end. Dimensions of enclosure are 30.3m N-S x 25.4m E-W from outer edges of ditch; 27.2m NS x 21.7m EW from outer edges of bank; and 17.3m N-S x 16.2m E-W for the interior. There are clear traces of a counterscarp bank just outside ditch at NE and S, and slighter traces of one at NW, which would increase overall dimensions for enclosure. Main enclosure bank rises up to 0.5m above interior at S side, where it rises 1.05m above the ditch and 0.90m above the counterscarp bank. Overall width of flat-topped inner bank is 3.4m at E side, its upper surface 0.80m across. Width of bank at S side is 1.7m, where width of ditch is 1.5m. Part of outer face of inner enclosing bank has been poached, especially on S side. Long axis of enclosure runs roughly N-S (NNW-SSE), with corners being sharpest at NW and SW, and more rounded at NE and especially SE. Interior of enclosure is raised up to 0.50m above external ground level at NE corner but is higher than ground level on all sides. Slippage from the inner bank and raised interior has occurred in various places, most notably midway along W side, although the ASI account of 13/4/70 suggests that this might be the original entrance [SMR file]. At N side of interior of enclosure are remains of what appears to be a greatly damaged ring-barrow (Diam. 10.5m E-W), comprising a ransacked central mound (Diam. 6.5m E-W) surrounded by a roughly circular ditch and an outer bank which is best preserved at E but almost obliterated on S side. Mound rises 0.23m above ditch on E side, where bank rises 0.19m above ditch. It is possible that this is not a ring-barrow, not least in view of its unusual location within a rectangular enclosure; the ASI account of 26/7/72 queried its identification as a ring-barrow, while that of 13/4/70 had described it as ‘two slight banks forming concentric arcs with the open sides on the S.’, suggesting that ‘These could represent a two-period house site. The inner structure [i.e. the hollowed mound of the ‘ring-barrow’] having been built inside the outer’. Given its hilltop location amidst the important Killucan group of barrows, and that some other enclosed ring-barrows are known from Ireland, this writer is much more inclined to opt for identification as a ring-barrow. Monument is located on prominent hilltop close to mobile phone mast; visibility would be excellent all round but for trees. Barrow forms part of a loosely knit cemetery on and around the elevated ground W of Killucan, including two in Rathwire Upper townland (WM020-124----; WM020-123----) within 1.3km to S, and a tight cluster of four or five others in Rathnarrow townland within 1.2km to S’. See attached plan of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of upload: 10 February 2016

• WM020-111 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on a slight rise, in gently undulating pasture, overlooked by higher ground to SW and NE and with good views in the other directions. Annotated ‘Fort’ on the 1837 OS Fair Plan map. Monument described in 1970 as a small circular-shaped area (dims. 27m N-S; 26m E-W) enclosed by an earthen bank and an external fosse. The bank is substantial and is best preserved from WNW-N-NNE. There are gaps in the bank at NNE, SE, SSW and W. It is not possible to confirm which one is the original entrance. The fosse is steep-sided, wide and flat-bottomed. The interior has a NNW-facing slope. Monument is visible as a roughly circular-shaped tree-lined earthwork on Digital Globe aerial photography. Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien. Date of upload: 08 July 2019

• WM020-112 Barrow - ring-barrow
  Description

  This barrow was excavated in 1973 and the following is a summary of results as published in the excavations bulletin (McCabe 1974): 'Six burial mounds have been located at Rathnarrow. Barrow III is a low circular mound with a slight central depression surrounded by a round-bottomed ditch of varying width with a low broad earthen bank at its outer edge. The mound is 15m in diameter and 1 .20m higher than the bottom of the ditch. The ditch is 7 — 8 broad, the bank 6m broad and about 20 cm high. The 1973 excavation was limited to a preliminary cutting in the N.E. quadrant. This revealed a portion of a pit under the centre of the mound which rises to a maximum height of 40 cm above the old ground surface. Limited excavation of the upper pit-fill produced many fragments of cremated human bone. The cutting exposed two parallel arcs of irregularly weathered grey-white limestones resting on the old ground surface underneath the mound. The arcs, possibly parts of two concentric rings, are 1 .20m and 3.80m from the centre. The stones which have small spaces between them average 30cm long x 25cm broad x 25cm high. Between the two arcs in a concentration of smaller stones. All save four were resting on the old ground surface. Between these stones and on the ancient soil were many fragments of charcoal. Where excavated the ditch was found to have been c. 2.60m deep originally. Traces of broad cultivation ridges were found crossing the bank. One of these yielded a 19th century clay pipe bowl. A thick layer of ancient soil with a clearly defined limit 3m outside the outer lip of the ditch was found beneath the bank The ancient soil and ditch fill promise to yield considerable ecological data. Some waste flint flakes were found but no artifacts.' See attached OS 25-inch map showing location of barrow. Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 19 March 2015

• WM020-113 Barrow - ring-barrow
  Description

  Situated on a generally level area, in low-lying pasture, which is overlooked by higher, gently undulating pasture to E, S and W where views are restricted. Barrows (WM020-112----/114----) lie c. 15m to E and c. 14m to N, respectively. Not depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map or on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map. Monument described in 1970-2 as a small circular area (dims. 8.5m ESE-WNW; 7m NNE-SSW) defined by a wide, shallow fosse. The remains of a slight bank are present along the outer edge of the fosse. Outline of monument is barely visible on Digital Globe aerial photography. See attached OS 25-inch map showing location of barrow. Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien. Date of upload: 08 July 2019

• WM020-114 Barrow - ditch barrow
  Description

  Situated in pasture, which overlooks lower ground to N. Barrows (WM020-113----/114----) lie c. 14m to S and c. 30m to SE, respectively. Not depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map or on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map. Barely visible monument described in 1970-2 as a roughly circular-shaped area (diam. 5m N-S; 4.8m E-W) defined by a narrow, shallow fosse with no visible trace of a bank. Monument is not visible on Digital Globe aerial photography. See attached OS 25-inch map showing location of barrow. Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien. Date of upload: 08 July 2019

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands in the townland of Rathnarrow.

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).

No address of the register names Rathnarrow with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Westmeath.

Name

Rathnarrow · Ráth an Arbha

Area

405,263 m² (40.53 ha, 100.14 acres)

Civil parish

Killucan, and its townlands

Barony

Farbill

Electoral division

Killucan, the unit of the census

Neighbouring townlands

Balrowan (pakenham), Kerinstown And Balrowan (rowley), Lisnabin, Rathwire Upper

Placenames

Rathnarrow 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.