and this church served the Catholic population of the area for the next 120 years before it too was demolished; to be replaced by a shrine and carpark. A new larger Catholic church, the Church of the Holy Trinity, was designed by Simon Aloysius Leonard and built on the west side of the town in the 1950s. There are a number of "mass pits" (outdoor areas used for Catholic masses during penal times) located in the vicinity of the town. Economy The Meadow Meats processing plant is part of the Dawn Meats Group and was the largest employer in the town. This factory stands on the old Perry's Brewery site, it was purchased by Lyons Meats in 1968 and converted by them to a meat processing facility, which went into production in 1971. Rathdowney is also something of a centre for several out lying villages and is a focal point for the surrounding agricultural hinterland. People Tony Byrne, international footballer. Kieran Patrick Kelly, suspected serial killer. Edward Ledwich, historian, antiquary and topographer, was curate in Rathdowney for a time. John Moyney, an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, was born in Rathdowney. James Pearson, also a Victoria Cross recipient from Rathdowney. Kieran Phelan, Irish politician, seated in the Seanad 2002-2010. Thomas Prior, author and founder of the Royal Dublin Society. See also List of towns and villages in Ireland References Towns and villages in County Laois Townlands of County Laois