Rathmore (Irish: An Ráth Mhór or An Ráith Mór, meaning 'big fort'),[2] a village, civil parish and District electoral division in County Kildare, Ireland, is located at the western edge of the Wicklow Mountains in the barony of Naas North.

[3] The original settlement was at the southwest corner of the English Pale, serving an important function as a border fortress during the medieval period.

The civil parish of Rathmore[4] is 7744 statute acres, containing the following townlands: 1816 -Cowreen Hill[8] 1536 - Newtown 1654 - Newtown O'More[16] 1816 - Slatequarries[23] Rathmore borders with the parishes of Kilbride and Blessington in County Wicklow to northeast and southeast; the boundary extends along the N81 Road and the old coach road between Hempstown and Crosscoolharbour.

To northwest, west and south it borders the Kildare parishes of Kilteel and Kill, Tipper and Tipperkevin.

[22][35][36][37] The use of Rathmore as an Anglo-Norman manorial caput also indicates the importance of the pre-Norman settlement; the motte may incorporate both a Bronze Age tumulus and the rath.

A letter from the chief persons in Kildare to the Duke of York complained that the dispute: "hath caused more destructionne in the said counte of Kildare and liberte of Mith within short time now late passed and dayly doth, then was done by Irish enemys and English rebelles of long tyme before."

[44] In 1545 the manor with the "castle and watermill there" and lands in Wicklow and Kildare were granted to John Travers of Monkstown, an usher of the King's chamber, for his services "especially in the wars in Ireland".

[46] The Civil Survey of 1654 lists John Chevers as holding 402 plantation acres in the parish with a manor house or castle and a mill, then waste.

[56] In the medieval period Rathmore served as a border fortress on the marches of the English Pale, under attack from the Gaelic O'Byrne and O'Toole lordships of the Wicklow uplands.

On 5 January 1356, Edward III, noting that 'the more noble and powerful persons' of Leinster had failed to remain at the wards of 'Kylhele, Rathmore and Ballymore in co. Kildare...for the salvation of the marches against Obryn and his accomplices' issued orders requiring the 4th Earl of Kildare to: go in person with 5 men-at-arms with horses, 12 hobelars well armed, and 40 archers and other foot, well provided, to Rathmore on Monday after the Octaves of Trinity, or on Tuesday at the latest, to hold the said wards at his expenses, for the defence of the said lands...by the allegiance that he owes the King and under pain of forfeiture of those lands to be present with the said men-at-arms...on the said day, to remain there...and he is to defend those parts against the malice of the enemy.

Kelway called for a parley, raised "certain husbandmen and freeholders of Rathmore, Newtown and the parish of Kill" and met with O'Toole and his followers.

[60] A letter of 22 August 1538 from Sir William Brabazon to Sir Thomas Cromwell describing the events stressed the importance of Rathmore:Toching the garrison of Rathmore, which Kelway had; forasmuche as it is one of the chief keys of defence against the Tholes [OTooles], and that the cuntrie is greatly depopulate in thois quarters, we beseeche your good Lordship, that none be appointed therunto, but sooche one as shalbe an honest man, that wolbe resident ther, having some experience to goveme and defende a cuntrie.

[46]Friar Clyn's Annals of Ireland names Rathmore among several settlements on the Pale border raided and burnt by Rory O'More before 1577.

Sixty to eighty kern and gallowglass, led by two brothers of Fiach McHugh O'Byrne, having burnt the "towne" of Rathmore were retreating into the mountains with a herd of cattle when they met with a party of horse under the Earl and Sir Henry Harrington at a ford.

A series of charges broke the O'Byrne force and despite fighting "a long tyme very valyantly" the Palesmen eventually "putt them all to the sword savinge two which escaped".

[62][63][64] Alexander Taylor's map of 1783 marks a site on the road between Rathmore and Edestown as 'English Ford' a placename not used on the Ordnance Survey.

[72] The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage describes this as a five-bay single storey Gothic-style church, constructed between 1820 and 1860 and extended in 1880.

The sports of Bowls, Badminton, Karate are well catered for as is Ballet, Hip Hop, Dance, Drama, Art and Yoga.

A community cafe takes place on the second Wednesday morning every month to bring together local senior citizens.