Rath (An Ráth)

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Rath (Irish: An Ráth) is a hamlet in the south west area of County Offaly, Ireland. The hamlet is located midway between the towns of Birr and Kilcormac on a northeast-southwest country road. It is located in the parish of Eglish and Drumcullen which is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath. The hamlet has a number of local amenities for the local population including a church (dedicated to St. John the Baptist), a national school, a local community centre and a local shop. Drumcullen GAA is the local GAA club and is located about half a kilometer to the south of the hamlet.
Rath takes its name from the Irish word 'An Ráth' which means Ringfort. Ringforts are circular fortified settlements with some dating as far back as the Iron Age (800 BCE–400 CE). There is no evidence of a ringfort at the present day hamlet, however there are remains of one at nearby Mullinafawnia, a few kilometers south west of the hamlet.