Ráth Fearnáin

Ráth Fearnáin derives from 'ráth' (ringfort) and 'fearnáin', likely connected to 'fearn' (alder trees growing along the nearby River Dodder). The settlement's written history begins in 1199 when Anglo-Norman forces under Milo le Bret established a motte-and-bailey fortification following the invasion. Le Bret subsequently built Rathfarnham Castle as a more permanent stronghold, with a medieval ...