RAT HANGAN . RAT HANGAN -Im hein Im was called in Irish Rath g , g ’ f o W han s Fort . The rath r m hich it takes its name fie ld 1 80 is in a near the church , and is about feet in " diameter . 1 1 7 6 baro ff In Strongbow granted the ny of O aly, i clu di n ng Rathangan , to Maurice Fitzgerald . In 1 3 1 6 Edward Wh o w Bruce , had been cro ned Ki W arm W ng of Ireland , having, ith his y , intered in ” Rath n e an Westmeath , marched through y g on his “ way to the south . 1 O u th 1 32 9 Earl the 7 July, Richard , third of Kil d are , died at Rathangan , at the age of twelve years , and was buried at Kildare . 1 534 l In , at the time of the rebe lion of Silken l fortifie d Thomas, Rathangan Cast e was strongly and garrisoned . ’ ’ n v s A f h F u O D o o an nnals o t e o r Maste rs . ‘ ’ r Grace s Annals . 4 RAT HANGAN . 1 5 3 5 A th In February, , John llen , Master of e Rolls , in a letter to Thomas Cromwell , Secretary of State , recommends that the castle should be taken by " t h e Royal forces as soon as possible . It was acco rd l u A i ng y carried by assa lt in pril . Holi n sh e dT relates that when the Castel of Rath ingan was woon, which was soone after the surrender Ma no th E c d of y , hee (the arl of ause a drove of cattell to appear timely in the morning , hard by the town e . Such as kept the Fort suspecting it to be a bootie were trayned for the more part out of the u castel , who were s rprised by Thomas, that lay hard ambu sh e by in , and the greater number of them ’ E h slain e . The arl however continued to arass the “ A Mr . T h saure r o w . t e t e garrison one time ,§ sending of the Nass certem cartes of v itt e l s to the castell of n Rathangan , Thomas Fitzgerald , havi g knowledge n W t O oh on or thereof, fur ished ith the s rength of and f t other als traitors , purposed to intercep the same , Mr . T he sau re r cum an as but , with such p y was with w as Mu v D c him , which as we hear saie sgra e , a res , fo lo id and Thomas Eustace , ”hearing of ther intent, H V l 2 2 a e s e III . vo . 9 . State P p r . nry ii p ’ f Holi n sh e d s History of I re land . ke n T o m as e n E arl of K e who e 1 Sil h , t th ildar , had lat ly m succe e de d t o th e E arldo . l m z n us n th E Si r Wi li a Braba o . II C o i to e arl . 5 RATHANGAN . and t met with him , and notwithstanding the doble it s id ca number of them , as is a , to him and his mpa n n ot c y , he sett upon them , and so onlie , in conclu di scom fit e ll e sion , them , but ki ed sixt en of ther hors men , and the capitaine of ther ul 15 35 a w as E r . In J y , , the c stle retaken by the a l w O ch o n o r u t d The traitor , ith the aide of , assa l e a a n e t wh e rin g y the cour and castell of Rathangan , ce rt e n re t n e w was of the y of Sir William Bretons , first lo o st e b e lde d who the ase curte , and after y the to t rad m e nt castell , which was brought passe by the y o f Fe lo m Bo O ch on or i n di ht e d y , whom , after he was g arra n e d m u rdo u rs and y of diverse treasons , and felo u s a t com e in nies before , Kildare , befor our last g into In lan de De u ti e roce s g , my Lord p , without p or order law con st ra ne d d e l ve r hi m of , y the shirif to y at vit t e l e n large , and after put him in trust for the g i Mr h sa r r d . e u e and oversight of the sa garrison T , a e rfit e kn o wle e the next daie fter , not having p g ther o f cum an ak o rn ai e , but thinking with his p y to m e a j o t ra t our soco re d into All n, where the y was , which is u Na not past fo r miles from the as, yit to be suer, t hith e rwarde whether it were true or not, resorted ; kn owle e m and if g had not been sent befor, by so e owne cu m an al of thois which were in his p y, as be Pa rs . 11 . 2 a e e . 60. St t p , vol p f t rai t ours als of theis Geraldines , he had fo un dé a Thomas, with many of his c mpany, within the cas ' fie dd tell and curte ; but or he came, they , and so he e ntre d a a n e the castell and court g y albeit , no In li shm an it lo s g wold tary in it to kepe , which had o t t t wi e s f o . Wh e rn on i be or, and Kildare als p he entre ted Sir James Fitz Gerald to take upon hi m the kep i t rau ntin hi m wa i s ing of , g g g for as many of his m e n as shu ld be in it and so he hath warded it with fo ot e m e n ke e th e horsemen, gunners , and other , and p it salve li e Si r " ames Fitz Gerald was uncle to the Earl , and t no withstanding his services to the crown , was in the February arrested and sent to England, was confin e d in the tower of London with and after a year’ s imprisonment exe ” e m o ri al of Le nst e r I In for the winning y , for d 1 53 warde by the Council of Ireland to the King m 7 , i t was proposed that the younger son or brother of some gobd English family shoul d receive out of th e forfeited l ah ds the manor of Rathangan with the baro ' f l ‘ a W e ny o f Ofla y. 1 And in the same ye r . Cowl y suggests the various border castles should be ive n t o m archars me n g h as are , of warre, hav 4. S 1 1 . 2 64 . l b. 41 Papers , f RAT HANGAN . 7 “ ing good rctynue s ; and among others the Fas sagh of In another letter it is su g gested that when the Lord Deputy has conference with the Irish chiefs, in order to save expense he d If should reside in one of the bor er fortresses . ’ i ” O Ch on o ur n . with , he be Rathangan , which ’ Offal was on the border of that chief s country , yi 1 53 8 In March , , the Lord Deputy wrote that he ’ O C onn or had been trying to induce to submit . m o ro we condu ct e Apon the he cam , upon save , se rvaun t Kin e s unto my sayd , into the g castell of w b m citi e Rathangan , and ith y from thens to the of ” D l n ub . y , where he made hys humble submission 1 Among the articles sent by the Irish Council to England against the Lord Deputy , Lord Graney , was an d , that he quartered his soldiers on Rathangan other royal towns without payment . § Among the accusations against Gerald the eleventh Earl, and in consequence of which he was sent pri m 1 5 75 f so er to England , in , are , that he had con er ’ e nce s Ke da h O C on n o r with g , a noted rebel, both before and after the latter had plundered W alte r; w ’ nih 1 5 M T h o m a f Sta n rst 73 . as o l in And Hubert , g i ' ’ ’ O Connor Ke da h O Conno r lower of , confessed that g , a a e . 446 . St te P p rs , ii I l b. 5 60 . 8 RATHANGAN . Mr. also a rebel , took a hawk from Colley, and sent it by him to the Earl at Rathangan . The night be fore he delivered the hawk , Hubert slept at the house ’ ” of Connor O He vrin in Lou ghballywh o gan near d Rathangan .