Rathdowney in county Laois was an old military town and as such the town itself is constructed around a large square which would have been used for drill. In the square itself is the grave of a croppy (Irish Rebel soldier)who was hung drawn and quartered.

The protestant church at the top of the square still has bullet holes in the weather vane. These are suppose to have been added by a group of Black and Tan soldiers in the 1920s.

Rathdowney in recent years has gone into decline with most of the shops closing for economic reasons. Recently an outlet center has opened in the town and sells brand name products at discount prices.

Rathdowney sports an 18 hole golf course and the green fees are reasonable. The main source of employment in the town is the meat factory. This factory was built on the site of the old perry's brewery and is located beside the brewery pond.

Rathdowney has some restaurants and a number of the pubs serve food.

Rathdowney is a also locality of approximately 100 persons in south-eastern Queensland. It is on the Mount Lindesay Highway 32 km south of Beaudesert.

It was named after a town in Ireland.

Cattle grazing and dairy farming are the main industries. It also a gateway to various National Parks such as Border Ranges National Park and Mt Barney National Park.