rathkeelan

Rathkeelan is a townland of 338 statute acres 1 rood and 18 perches to the immediate north and west of Crossmaglen, extending from several hundred yards north of the Culloville Road and straddling the Castleblaney and Carron Roads. It is bounded on the north by Creenkill, on the east by Carran and Urcher, on the south by Crossmaglen, and on the west by Creevekeeran and Loughross. The townland includes just short of 12 statute acres of the town of Crossmaglen. In the Tithe Applotment Books 1828 the area of the townland is given as 192 acres 1 rood and 13 perches (Plantation Irish measure).

Name of townland

Rath Caolain, "Keelan's fort" ⁽¹⁾.

There are two townlands called 'Rathkeelan' in Ireland. The other one is in County Fermanagh.

Ordnanace Survey Name Books: Creggan Parish ⁽²⁾

RATHKEELAN (OSNB ii11 44): It lies on the west of the town of Crossmaglen, part of which may be said to be In this townland. The road to Castleblaney runs straight thro' It E. and W. There are a good many scattered dwellings In this td., also an old fort. Soil light but well cultivated.
It contains 338..2..27 of which 15..2..24 Is uncultivated and Bog.

Griffiths Valuation (1864) records that the land was owned by John Clooney and Peter Murphy.

Census of Ireland 1901

The Census enumerated 99 persons in 19 households; a ratio of 5.2 people per household. The households occupied a total of 43 rooms, a ratio of 2.3 rooms per household and 2.3 people per room. Two people each occupied a single room dwelling, eleven had two rooms, five has 3 rooms and one had four rooms. Ten of the dwellings were thatched.

Native Irish Speakers

Of the 19 households enumerated in the Census, seven contained at least one native Irish speaker - 8 in all. Since theirs was the last generation to have been born into a predominently Irish speaking environment, their names, occupations and ages are recorded here. All were born in Co. Armagh with the exception of Francis Long and Mary Borden, both born in Co. Louth.

• Francis Long, carpenter, 42
• Sarah Hughes, seamstress, 70
• Mary Borden, seamstress, 65
• Thomas Traynor, farmer, 45
• John McCabe, farmer, 62
• Patrick McCabe, farmer, 55
• Patrick Hanratty, farmer, 26
  and his sister Minnie, general servant, 21

Population Decline and Recovery

The following table sets out the number of houses and population enumerated in the townland in each of the 11 Censuses held between 1841 and 1951.

In the 70 years between 1841 and 1911 the number of households reduced by 61% and the population by 69% - reflecting the continuing effects of the Great Famine, emigration and lack of rural employment opportunities. Thereafter the population increased. However this increase can be accounted for in that part of Rathkeelan on which the town of Crossmaglen stands.

Names of House and land Holders

All the Valuations since Griffiths identified those with houses in the townland and those who while living elsewhere leased or owned land there. The Census of Ireland enumerated only households in the townland. The following table uses this approach.

I have excluded the names of those listed in the 1864 and subsequent Valuations within the town of Crossmaglen. These appear as part of the town itself.

Although the data is not strictly comparable since the information was gathered for different purposes and used varying criteria, the details provide a comparison of the names of house and land holders who were listed in the Townland at the different periods. While we can not discern the direct lines of descent it is clear that many are from the same families.