Boytonrath

Boytonrath is a townland of the Roman Catholic parish of New Inn and Knockgraffon in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is completely rural today. In the past, though, it was once a parish in its own right, and appears consistently in early modern to 18th century records as being a centre of, relative to the time, a quite considerable population. The families most associated with Boytonrath are the Tobins and the Loughnanes (O'Loughlins). These have evidently dwelt here from at least the 17th century, and are listed as being the chief occupants of the barony of [http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ihm/barony-map-munster.htm Middlethird] (and almost certainly of Boytonrath) in William Petty's 1659 [http://www.rootsweb.com/~irltip/Records/MidlethirdBarony1659.htm Down Survey] .

Boytonrath is, then, quite an historic area. One large farmhouse, which is still occupied (interestingly, by Loughnanes), dates from the 1640s or before. Also present are the ruined foundations of a once impressive castle. Of considerable interest, too, is a small ruined church and its graveyard, which has several well preserved headstones - belonging to several families still resident in the area (including O'Donnells, Loughnanes and Tobins) - dating from the 1700s.