Rathaspeck or Rathaspick parish, County Laois, or Queen's County, Ireland.

The parish which is situated near the river Onas and watered by one of its tributary streams, comprises 5335 statute acres, as apploted under the tithe act; the land is generally productive, and limestone of good quality is quarried for agricultural and other uses.

The princpal seats are : Shara House, the residence of T.Kemmis Esq., Eyne House of Capt. R. Lavers; Straboe of the Revd. T. kemmis ; Dery of J. Baldwin Esq., and Knocknagrove of M. Dillon Esq.,

At Shara is a foundry, and there is a constabulary police station at the Heath.

It is a vicarage in the diocese of Leighlin forming part of the union of Maryborough; the rectory is impripriate in ??? Llewis Esq. The tithes amount to £300 of which £200 is payable to the impropriator and £100 to the Vicar.

In the Roman Catholic divisions the parish forms part of the union of Maryborough; there are some remains of the ancient parish church and a well held in much esteem, near which are the walls of a castellated mansion, erected on the site of the ancient castle of Morett, one of the fortresses originally built by Lord Mortimer, and held for many ages by the Fitzgeralds against the O’Mores. The present remains have a stack of chimneys onm each side wall and gable with a turret at one of the angles, but the interior is wholly destroyed. About 200 yards to thesouth beyond a rivulet that runs through a small valley, is abuilding apparently an ancient chapel. Shara castle was in 1397, the head of a manor belonging to Sir Robt. Preston; it was besieged and taken by the insurgents in the war of 1641, and in the following year surrendered to Sir Chas. Coote from whom it as re taken by Owen Roe O’Nial in 1646 and finally surrended in 1650 , to Cols. Reynolds and Hewson by whom it was demolished; the few remains that existed were removed some years hence.

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