An Ráth

An Ráth—'the ringfort'—derives its name from the ráth, a fortified settlement form common in early medieval Ireland. The place was originally called Rathgogan or Rathgoggan (Ráth an Ghogánaigh), meaning 'Cogan's ringfort,' after the Norman family of Miles de Cogan, who held lands in northeast Cork from 1251 until the 15th century. The Cogan family built several churches in the region during thi...