O'Donovan writing from Banagher returns to write of Rahan and attacks writers who placed it in the ancient Meath.

ORDNANCE SURVEY LETTERS KING'S COUNTY

[ Letter no. 27 from John O'Donovan ]

Banagher,
January 20th 1838.

Dear Sir,

We have finished in this neighbourhood and shall move to Birr or (alias) Parsonstown on Monday morning. The weather is dreadful here, but we hope that we are anticipating some of the pains of Purgatory, as we learn from the spirit of Malachy I, that the soul is purified by cold as well as by prayers and fire.

Archdall places Rathen in Westmeath and he has mislead Lanigan, who places it in the same County in the Barony of Fertullagh, but Usher, who knew its situation better than either of them, places it in the Territory of Feara Ceall within eight miles of Durrow. Now the Territory of Feara Ceall, as I shall prove in my next letter, never extended farther to the north than the southern boundary of the Baronies of Kilcoursy and Moycashel and therefore the Church of Rahen, which was in it could not be in the County of Westmeath.

Rathen, then celebrated monastic city (civitas Rathen) from which St. Carthagh, afterwards of Lismore, was expelled, is no other than the Rahen in the Barony of Ballycowan, which is a part of the Territory of Feara Ceall.

Tomorrow I shall send you a long disquisition on the Territories of Delvin Mac Coghlan and Feara Ceall in which I will prove that the Abbe Mageoghegan and Archdall were but childish investigators.

It has cost me much thought and research and more time than any one could imagine from the quantity of work produced, for I sat up till 3 o'clock for three nights in succession. I have now done with ancient Meath and it affords much satisfaction that I have weathered it out so long.

Your obedient servant,
John O'Donovan.