Raharney or Raharny is a village in east County Westmeath

County Westmeath

-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...

, Ireland

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...

. It has a population of 231 (2006 Census).

Raharney is on the R156 road

R156 road

The R156 road is a regional road in Ireland, linking the N3 national primary road near Clonee in County Meath to the N4 in County Westmeath. The road is single carriageway throughout. Many parts of the route have dangerous bends.-Route:...

 about 18 km (11.2 mi) from Mullingar

Mullingar

Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...

 and 60 from Dublin. It is in the parish of Killucan; the village of Killucan is a further 3 km (1.9 mi) west.

History

The village of Raharney has a bridge on a river and is the last settlement of the county on the edge of bogland that separates Westmeath from County Meath

County Meath

County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...

. The bridge links the roads that run north-south alongside the River Deel

River Deel

The River Deel is in County Limerick, Ireland.The river rises near Dromina in North County Cork and flows north into County Limerick for over 60 km to enter the Shannon Estuary at Askeaton....

 on one side and alongside the bog on the other (road from Delvin

Delvin

Delvin is a small town in east County Westmeath, Ireland located on the N52 road at a junction with the N51 to Navan. The town is from Mullingar and is the setting of the book Valley of the Squinting Windows by Delvin native Brinsley MacNamara, described under the fictitious name of "Garradrimna"...

 and on through Riverdale). The River Deel is a tributary of the Boyne. The roads into the village all slope down towards the river suggesting that before the bridge was built there was a ford at this point. Looking westward to Mullingar

Mullingar

Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...

 the town is located in the gap between three large lakes. Raharney, therefore, lies on the route of a path of what probably was, in the past, difficult terrain through the midlands. The three east-west roads were the Athboy

Athboy

Athboy , is a small agricultural town in County Meath in Ireland. It is located on the junction of the N51 and R154 roads. The town is located on the Yellow Ford River, in wooded country near the County Westmeath border.-History:...

-Delvin-Mullingar road, the Clonard

Clonard, County Meath

Clonard is a small village in County Meath, Ireland. It lies on the R148 regional road between the towns of Kinnegad and Enfield. This road was the main road between Dublin and Galway until the construction of the M4 motorway - it is still used by traffic avoiding the toll on the M4.It is notable...

-Kinnegad

Kinnegad

Kinnegad or Kinagad is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is near the border with County Meath, at the junction of the N6 and the N4 - two of Ireland's main east-west roads...

-Athlone/Mullingar road and Trim

Trim, County Meath

Trim is the traditional county town of County Meath in Ireland, although the county town is now Navan. The town was recorded in the 2006 census to have a population of 6,870....

-Raharney/Killucan-Mullingar road.

A feature of the village is an old, unused graveyard, perched on top of a small hill on the bend of the river as it leaves the village.

Sport

In Raharney there is a 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...

 club, having been County Westmeath senior hurling

Hurling

Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

 champions on ten occasions; 1913, 1914, 1919, 1967, 1973, 1984, 1992, 1994, 2006 , 2008 and 2010.Their camoige team has won the Westmeath camoige final for the last 4 years.

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland