Rathdowney

Rathdowney
Irish: Ráth Domhnaigh
Town
Main Street
Rathdowney
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°51′19″N 7°35′05″W / 52.8554°N 7.5848°W / 52.8554; -7.5848
CountryIreland
ProvinceLeinster
CountyCounty Laois
Elevation
100 m (300 ft)
Population
 (2016)
1,271
Irish Grid ReferenceS279783

Rathdowney or Rathdowny (Irish: Ráth Domhnaigh, meaning 'ringfort of the church') is a small town in southwest County Laois, Ireland. It lies some 32 km southwest of Portlaoise in the Irish Midlands, at the point where the R433 regional road from Abbeyleix to Templemore is crossed by the R435 from Borris-in-Ossory to Johnstown. The R433 provides access for Rathdowney to the Dublin-Cork M8 motorway, while the R435 links the town to the Dublin-Limerick M7. As of the 2016 census, the population of Rathdowney was 1,271. The town is in a townland and civil parish of the same name.