Mountrath 4.68

Mountrath is a small town in County Laois, Ireland. Bypassed by the M7 motorway in 2010, the town lies on the R445 midway between Dublin and Limerick, exactly 96.5 km (60 mi) from both cities.In 2006 it had a population of 1,435. The river that flows through the town is called the Whitehorse and gets it name from the white colouring that was present in its water from the whiskey distillery that used to be in the centre of the town.NameThe word "Mountrath" comes from the Gaelic word "Moin Ratha"; meaning "Fort of the bog".Places of interestNear Mountrath on the R445 towards Portlaoise is a shapeless old Wish Tree in the form of a Sycamore tree called St Fintan's Well. The original well was filled in, but the water re-appeared in the centre of the tree. Hundreds of Irish pennies have been beaten into the bark as good luck offerings, until they eventually had apparently killed the tree but it began to sprout new shoots from its trunk and is growing again.HistoryThe important Synod of Ráth Breasail was held near Mountrath in 1111.In the beginning of the 17th century, the lands around Mountrath became the property of Charles Coote. Despite the wild surrounding country, which was covered with woodlands, he laid the foundation of the present town. In 1628 Coote obtained for the inhabitants a grant of two weekly markets and two fairs, and established a very extensive linen and fustian manufactory. In the year 1641, as a Royalist supporter, much of his property was destroyed during the Irish Confederacy in the War of the Three Kingdoms.