Rathvilly is a village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 in County Carlow

County Carlow

County Carlow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Carlow, which lies on the River Barrow. Carlow County Council is the local authority for the county...

, Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. The area has the family seat of Baron Rathdonnell

Baron Rathdonnell

Baron Rathdonnell, of Rathdonnell in the County of Donegal, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1868 for John McClintock, with remainder to the male issue of his deceased younger brother Captain William McClintock-Bunbury . The barony of Rathdonnel was the second-last barony...

. Rathvilly has won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition

Irish Tidy Towns Competition

Tidy Towns is an annual competition, first held in 1958, organised by the Irish Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in order to honour the tidiest and most attractive cities, towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland...

 on three separate occasions, 1961

1961 in Ireland

See also:1960 in Ireland,other events of 1961,1962 in Ireland-----Events:*January 6 - Lieutenant-General Seán Mac Eoin flies out of Dublin en route to the Congo. He is taking up his new post as General Commanding Officer of the United Nations....

, 1963

1963 in Ireland

-Events:*January 17 - Thomas Johnson, first parliamentary leader of the Irish Labour Party, dies aged 91.*January 24 - The Minister for Justice, Charles Haughey, announces that the government proposes to abolish the death penalty....

, and 1968

1968 in Ireland

-Events:*8 January - Taoiseach Jack Lynch and Northern Ireland Prime Minister Terence O'Neill meet for talks in Dublin.*10 March - Minister for Education Donogh O'Malley collapses and dies while campaigning in County Clare....

.

History

In the centre of the village there is a statue

Statue

A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...

 dedicated to Kevin Barry

Kevin Barry

Kevin Gerard Barry was the first Irish republican to be executed by the British since the leaders of the Easter Rising. Barry was sentenced to death for his part in an IRA operation which resulted in the deaths of three British soldiers.Barry's death is considered a watershed moment in the Irish...

 a local 18 year old who fought for Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 freedom

Freedom (political)

Political freedom is a central philosophy in Western history and political thought, and one of the most important features of democratic societies...

 in the 1920s. He was captured by the British and hanged in Mountjoy Prison

Mountjoy Prison

Mountjoy Prison , founded as Mountjoy Gaol, nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security prison located in Phibsboro in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. It has the largest prison population in Ireland.The current prison governor is Mr...

 on 1 November 1920.

Places of interest

• The Moate, a medieval structure, is found one mile off the village on the Hacketstown road

Sport

It is one of the few clubs in County Carlow who can consistently challenge the dominance of the Carlow town club sides, Éire Óg

Éire Óg

Éire Óg may refer to:*Young Ireland, an Irish political movement from 1839 to 1849* Éire Óg, an Irish rebel music group from the early 1990s.* Eire Og/Corrachoill GAA, a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Kildare...

 and O'Hanrahans. The colours of Green and Gold grace the village's Gaelic Athletic Association

Gaelic Athletic Association

The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

jersey. They are also Carlow football champions 2009.

Transport

• Rathvilly railway station opened on 1 June 1886, closed for passenger traffic on 27 January 1947 and finally closed altogether on 1 April 1959.

External links

• The Tidy Towns of Ireland "Celebrating 50 years"