Raheen, County Laois

:"This article is about Raheen, a village in County Laois. For other places called Raheen, see Raheen, County Limerick, Raheen, County Wexford, or Raheen (estate)."Infobox Irish Place
name = Raheen
gaeilge = An Ráithín
crest

motto =
map

pin coords = left: 57px; top: 55px
north coord = 52.58
west coord = 7.20
irish grid = S426904
province = Leinster
county = County Laois
town pop = ...
rural pop = ...
census yr = 2006
web =
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Raheen (Irish place name|An Ráithín) is a small village in County Laois south of Portlaoise in Ireland.

History

Raheen has an imposing Catholic church, dating from 1857. The first Catholic church, a thatched chapel, was built in 1729; the site was granted by a Protestant family named Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin granted the land after seeing poor Catholics assembled at Mass in a deep pit, which is called The "Mass Pit" even to the present time.

The grave-yard in the village marks the site of the old thatched chapel.

In 1916 rising some members of the IRA derailed a train by the woods in this village. Fact|date=June 2008

port

*Shanahoe GAA is a local Gaelic Athletic Association club.

ee also

List of towns in Ireland

External links

[http://www.irishmidlandsancestry.com/content/laois/community/parishhistories/raheen_parish.htm Local parish history]

References

[1] Chetwood's Tour through Ireland, p. 163.