THE O'BRIEN GENEALOGY GROUP
 

The O'Brien's of Abington Parish
Townlands of Rath (Rathe) & Rathwood, Murroe, County Limerick, Ireland

 

Our historical journey starts with the settlement of one or two O'Brien families living within the townland area called Rathwood, a small area designated on a number of maps from the early 1700's. This townland was part of the Civil parish of Abington, a historical area going back to old Cisterian Abbey dating back to the 14th century.   In the early 1800's another sub-clan was created when William O'Brien moved into the next townland called Rath.

Our O'Brien's first appear in the area early 1700 or even in the late 1600's. The family may have belong to the Clan of Teighe O'Bryne (O'Brien) of The Parish of Towgh, a place better known these days as Towerhill. Towerhill is now simply a small farming area, held and farmed by distant descendants of the Rathwood family, with an old cemetery, to which our family has used for burials for a long time. Recent DNA tests have clearly shown the family to belong to the blood line of Brian Boru and may have left the O'Brien Clare region during one of the many Irish rebellions.

The Abington, Murroe, Cappamore and other local districts are criss-crossed with many descendents of the O'Brien's of Rathwood and Rath marrying into the Hayes, Blackwell's, O'Connell's. Ryan's, O'Regan's, O'Connell's, Richardson's and Noonan families, plus many more making them all a link to those original O'Brien's.

This web site uses documentary evidence, general information and family history to show the links and cover many of the over 2000 people descendant from these townlands. There are still many gaps and many hundreds more family members are still not detailed.

Through the generations the family line has spread around Ireland and is located in Canada, Australia, Britain and the USA. We even believe there may be some members in South Africa and New Zealand

The hunt continues.

Looks at how the families of Rathwood and Rath relates the linked history of the two clans over the past 200 years.
 

Details the known family and descendants of John O'Brien and Catherine Slattery, the Clan of Rathwood
 

Details the known family and history of the descendants of William O'Brien and Mary Conway, the Clan of Rath

Gives family details in a chart format.
 

A copy of an original town lands map drawn in 1815.
 

A reproduction of the land maps for Abington Parish in the 1850's.  Showing Rath and Rathwood.
 

Gives statistical and historical information about Abington and the town lands of Rathwood and Rath.
 

A tale written about the hard work involved in working the Bog and collecting bog for winter months of the early part of the 20th Century.

 

Please email if your have any comments or questions,  contact   Dennis O'Brien  Last Update: 10072006