Rathlihean church in Killoughey is well known today because of the work of Mrs. Daly. The site has the ruins of the old church, cemetery and castle.

ORDNANCE SURVEY LETTERS KING'S COUNTY

[Letter no. 43 from Thomas O'Conor ]

Roscrea,
February 5th 1838.

Sir,

The ruins of an old Church lie in the Townland of Ralihin in Killoughy Parish at the western gable of which on the inside there is an apartment with a stone roof extending the whole breadth of the edifice. Immediately to the south of the Church yard there is a moat and about a quarter of a mile to the same side of it is Lady Well. To the east by south of the Church stands, on an eminence, a castle in ruins, which tradition says was built by - O'Molloy, to whom also the erection of the Church is ascribed.

We find Ralihin written Rathlibhten (arx Libteni) in the Irish Calendar, which places it in Feara Ceall in Meath:-

Iolladhan Ua Eachaidh Easpog o Raith Libhten i bhFearaibh Ceall i Midhe - 10th June.

Iolladhan, the grandson of Eachaidh, Bishop of Rathlibhten in Feara Ceall in Meath.

Iolladhan is altogether forgotten. Lady Day is the Patron Day of the Parish of Killoughy.

Archdall says: "Rathlibhthen is situated in the Barony of Fercall. Here we find the Abbey of St. Illand, who flourished A.D. 540. The Statue of the Saint is still to be seen in this Church with his Episcopal mitre and a crozier in his hand; the head was broken off some time since by sacrilegious hands (d). St. Illand's festival is observed on the 10th of June (e)."

By (d) a reference is made to AA. SS. p. 191, and Vard, p. 422, and by (e) to Vard p. 160. Ward was the predecessor of Colgan in Irish Hagiology. What does he say about Rath Libhthen?

About the statue here mentioned I could obtain no information.

Let an extract from the AA. SS. be made; let the Annals also be searched for Rathlibthen.

There is a Church in ruins in Ballyfarrell Townland, but there is no burial in it now. It is said there is a holy well in Ballycanta Townland, the name of which I could not learn from my informant.

Colgan says in Notes 35, 36, to Chapter 11 of Lib. 2 of the Tripartite life of St. Patrick, Triad. Thau. p. 131 that:-

"The Church of Kill hUailleach is in the southern country of Meath called Fera Keall and in it this St. Lonan is venerated on the 12th of November, according to Marian Gorman and the Martyrology of Donegal."

The only name we find in the district of Fearaceall that could be identified with Kill hUailleach is Killooly, the name of a townland in the above mentioned Parish of Killoughy. But there are no vestiges of any religious establishment found in it now, nor does tradition state that there ever was a monastery or Church in it. It is said there was a castle in it which belonged to O'Molloy, but there is not a trace of it at present to be seen.

There is a Church in ruins called Kill hUailleach in the Co. of Westmeath near Castletowndelvin; it gives name to a Parish, of which St. Lonan is yet remembered as the Patron. It is probable there was an old Church in this Townland of Killooly also dedicated to same Saint.

There are old ruins in Rathrobbin Townland said to be the ruins of a castle. In the Down Survey we find it mentioned:

"There was one castlelike at Rathrobbin."

Your obedient servant,
T. O'Conor.