Discover Rathmolyon

Houses and Churches in Rathmolyon

Rathmolyon House was built around 1800; The Villa, also known as Rathmolyon Villa, dates from 1836 and is classified as a farmhouse. The symmetrical façade of The Villa can be seen from the junction in the village centre. The two houses offer different clues to the architectural history of the village: Rathmolyon House has an approximate date, while The Villa has a specific year, a farmhouse classification and a distinctive façade.

The Church of Saint Michael and All Angels in Rathmolyon was built in 1797. Its three-storey tower has a limestone ashlar spire added around 1857; it also features stained-glass and tracery windows. Around six decades separate the church’s construction from the addition of the spire. Saint Michael’s Catholic Church represents a different period: it was built in 1967 and is considered an interesting example of Irish church architecture in the second half of the 20th century. There are 170 years between the construction dates of 1797 and 1967. The churches thus represent distinctly different periods in the architectural history of the village.

Local History and Landscape

The site of Rathmolyon’s medieval parish church lies within an approximately rectangular graveyard. The gravestones there date from around 1780 to the present day. The graveyard thus offers a different timeframe from the individual construction dates of the houses and churches.

Harnan is a detached thatched house dating from around 1880 and is also used as a pub. It is considered a good example of a traditional Irish thatched house. Alongside its date, the house’s form, thatched roof and use as a pub shape the character of this building.

Rathmolyon developed at the junction of the R156 and R159 regional roads. Rathmolyon Esker, a Natural Heritage Area, lies immediately on the eastern edge of the village. These facts locate different aspects of the destination: the road junction is part of the settlement’s development, while the esker connects it to the landscape right at the eastern edge of the village.

County Meath in a Wider Context

County Meath also offers a prehistoric setting. The Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site lies in a bend of the River Boyne and includes the passage tombs of Knowth, Newgrange and Dowth, built around 3200 BC. Loughcrew Megalithic Cemetery is a group of Neolithic passage tombs dating from around 3000 BC, spread across four gently rolling hilltops. The approximate dates can be compared: the passage tombs at Brú na Bóinne are around two centuries older than those at Loughcrew.

The Hill of Tara and Trim Castle also form part of County Meath’s historical context. The Hill of Tara was the seat of the High King of Ireland and an important centre of political and religious power. Trim Castle, Ireland’s largest Anglo-Norman castle, stands on the south bank of the River Boyne. For safety reasons, access to its keep is only available as part of a guided tour; check the current arrangements before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Kells, Ratoath, Dunshaughlin, Ashbourne, Boycetown, Longwood, Duleek, Julianstown

For the wider travel overview: County Meath.