Richard Robert Mates 1833 or Peter Mates 1795

Hello Tom,

You could try checking the land records called the Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38) http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp  or the later Griffith's Valuation (1848-64) http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/    

The Tithe Applotment List might be of use to you, or at least interesting for you. These lists constitute the only nationwide survey for the period, and are valuable because the heaviest burden of the tithes to the Established Church, the Church of Ireland, fell on the poorest, for whom few other records survive. The information in the Tithes is quite basic, typically consisting of townland name, landholder's name, area of land and tithes payable. Many Books also record the landlord's name and an assessment of the economic productivity of the land. The tax payable was based on the average price of wheat and oats over the seven years up to 1823, and was levied at a different rate depending on the quality of land. For Parishes where the registers do not begin until after 1850, this information can be useful, as they are often the only surviving early records. They can provide valuable circumstantial evidence, especially where a holding passed from father to son in the period between the Tithe survey and Griffith's Valuation.

Family Search yields some results for a Peter Mates born 1797 in Wicklow

https://familysearch.org/search/record/results#count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3Apeter~%20%2Bsurname%3Amates~%20%2Brecord_country%3AIreland%20%2Bbirth_place%3Arathdrum~%20%2Bany_place%3Arathdrum~%20%2Bany_year%3A1790-1800~%20%2Bfather_givenname%3Apeter~

and there are plenty of results for Mates from Rathdrum

https://familysearch.org/search/record/results#count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3Amates~%20%2Brecord_country%3AIreland%20%2Bbirth_place%3Arathdrum~%20%2Bfather_givenname%3Apeter~%20%2Bmother_givenname%3Asarah~

Hope this if some use to you,

Best regards Michael.