Granard

Brief History of the Area:   Granard’s cultural heritage forms a fascinating and complex tapestry, the threads of which can be traced back to the dawn of history.  The name Granard is an adaptation of an older pre-Gaelic name ‘Granaret’ or ‘Granaruid’ the precise definition of which time has obscured.  We can choose between such varied meanings such as ‘The Hill of the Sun’, or the ‘Hill of the Grain’.   The topography of the area gives support to each definition.  

Neolithic people lived in this area as far back as 3000 to 1500 BC.   These people were farmers who cultivated the soil and had domestic animals and also raised massive stone structures.  Granard would have had its own cattle-raiding, slave-owing chieftain.   Two Stone circles that can be found at Granard are the only such stones in the Midlands but there are about 90 ringforts recorded in the Granard area.

Granard’s importance can be gauged by the fact that it is mentioned many times in various annals often to record a battle or the death of a chieftain.  In its chequered history, Granard was burned twice.  First in 1315 by Edward Bruce and again in 1920 during the ‘Troubled Times’.  When the old town site opposite Granardkille Graveyard when burned in 1315 and abandoned the inhabitants moved to the present town of Granard, which is now the second largest town in County Longford.  Granard played a part in the 1798 Rebellion, when the Battle of Granard took place on the 5^th September 1798.  A plaque to commemorate this event can be seen at the entrance to Cortawillan Lane.

The surname Sheridan has an ancient association with Granard.  The family was granted the title ‘Ereneagh of Granard’, lay lords of the Church, which gave them high-ranking status in society.  A Clan Association was formed in 1995 and the first Clan Gathering was held in Granard in 1996, when the Sheridans from all over the world visited their ancestral home.

ATTRACTIONS

Granard Motte

This Motte is a very ancient structure that was erected some time before the Danish era.   The Motte is a great flat topped earthen mound, on top of which would have been a timber tower surrounded by a palisade.  Across the base was a U-shaped bailey, an enclosure surrounded by a palisade ditch.  Animals and soldiers were housed in the bailey.  It is very strongly fortified except on the southern side, which seems to have been guarded solely by the deep trench on the summit, out of which defenders fired arms and hurled stone missiles at the approaching enemy.   Richard de Tuite occupied it in 1199 as part of an initiative to extend Norman control over the country. 

Standing 534 ft above sea level it is reputed to be the highest Motte in Ireland.  The summit affords a view of five lakes, parts of nine counties and faint outline of the Sliabh Bloom Mountains.  Many myths are attached to the Motte, some say there is a castle concealed within it, others say it contains vast treasures of gold, while others maintain the hollow in the centre was a grain store.  In 1932 a statue of St Patrick was erected on top of the Motte to mark the 15th century of the coming of our patron saint.

Baker’s Fort

Baker’s Fort (or rath) is located off Main Street, behind A. Smith’s shop.  The Annals say that ‘in 1161, Matudan, grandson of Cronan, fell by the sons of Mc Congall at Granard’.  This may be the Cronan after whom the townland Rathcronan is named and this rath may have been the site of his residence.  The rath is now only 45 yards wide as part of it was demolished in 1924.  The farmer who owns the land discontinued work on the land as he considered it an unlucky omen when all his cattle died.  The rath is probably called after Mr Baker who had a shop near the Bank of Ireland building in the town.

St Mary’s RC Church

St Mary’s Church is built on a predominant height overlooking the town.  The church was designed by John Burke, Dublin, at the request of Canon McGaver and the foundation stone was laid on 8th September 1860.  The style is neo-gothic and the plan is cruciform.   The church was formally opened for worship on 5th May 1867.  Twenty years later the tower and spire, which rises to 170 ft, were added and the medieval style cross on top of the spire has become a local landmark.

St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Church

This site, close to the Motte, was originally the site of Catholic worship in Granard.  The present building is thought to have been built in the early part of the 18th century.  Various alterations including a belfry (before 1836) and restoration work has been made, the most recent being in 1980.  A Glebe House was built close to the church in 1825, which was a large two-storied house with a basement.  The house was demolished in 1956 but was inhabited by various Vicars of the Church as recently as 1940.

Market House

Granard was granted the right by Charter to hold a market on Mondays and while we cannot say for certain when the Market House was built a building stood on this site in 1691.  The Market House was the hub of a busy market town and was where grain crops were weighed, sacked and dispatched to the port of Drogheda for export.   Produce from the home market included potatoes, eggs, butter, linen and vegetables.   With the coming of the railways the carters went to Edgeworthstown station and later to Ballywillan.  The Market House has been used as a venue for dances, classes, drama productions, cinema, games, dancing classes, and meetings.  It has indeed served Granard well over the years.  The current look of the building is the result of a ‘face lift’ that it received in 1983 when a Branch Library was also added to the building.

Old Granard Town

The Granard of today is the new town of Granard and was begun to be built in the latter part of the fourteenth century.  A much older town now called ‘old Granard’ which is situated in the townland of Granardkille, is where the town began.  Granard’s greatest disaster came in November 1315 when Con O’Farrell refused to submit to Edward Bruce.  A fierce Battle lasting two days took place and the old walled town was eventually razed.  The Book of Howth says: ‘About the feast of St. Tendrow the said Bruce did burn Kells and Granard and did spoil the Abbey thereof.’  The medieval site of the town at Granardkille is believed to be the only one of its type in Ireland. When it was abandoned in 1315 the site was not affected by later development and so remains as it was when burned to the ground.  The ruins of the town are still visible but they have yet to be excavated.

Kitty Kiernan and Michael Collins 

Born Catherine Bridgit but more popularly know as Kit or Kitty, she had looks, charm and grace.  Kitty was born Granard in 1892 and educated in Loreto Convent, Co Wicklow. And in St Ita’s, the school founded by Padraig Pearse.  Kitty lived with her brother Larry who was proprietor of the Grenville Arms Hotel.  Kitty first met Michael Collins in may 1917 when he stayed at the Greville Arms with Harry Boland, his friend and fellow worker, during the by-election campaign in Co Longford.  Both Collins and Boland were smitten by the charming and vivacious Kitty but it was to Collins that she gave her heart.  They became engaged and Michael Collins, who was one of the principal founders of the state, became a regular visitor to Granard between 1917 and 1922.  They kept up a lengthy correspondence and while Collins was in London during the Treaty negotiations, he wrote to her everyday.  These letters are the subject of a book written by Leon O’Broin entitled ‘In Great Haste’.  Collins was assassinated at Béal na Bláth on August 22^nd 1922.  Kitty married in 1925, died in 1945 and is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin.

Route of the Táin

Granard features in the famous story of the Táin and The Annals record in the Táin ‘they ( Madb’s army) went on then and spent a night in Granard in North Teabhba.  Fergus sent a warning from there to the men of Ulster because of old friendship.  Fergus was then given the head of the army out in front of the troops.  He made a great detour southwards to give Ulster time to gather an army together’ -Táin- translated by Thomas Kinsella).  Niall of the Nine Hostages, King of Tara 379-406 AD, established two of his sons in Teffia, dividing into North and South.  Cairbre took the supremacy of North Teffia, which included the Granard area, and of the people living there, who were called the Glasraidhe and were descendants of the early inhabitants.

The Harp Festival

One of the most popular and lively events on Granard’s calendar is the renowned Granard Harp Festival.  John Dungan left his native Granard at an Early age and settled in Denmark where, in time he became a wealthy merchant.    He set out to revive public interest in the Irish Harp and Irish Harp Music.  During his busy life abroad he never lost contact with his native land and continued to take a keen interest in Irish affairs and in particular Irish Harp Music.  Having read in an English newspaper of an account of a prize offered in Scotland to the best player on the Highland Bagpipes he decided to adopt a similar plan for the salvation of the Irish Harp and immediately wrote to friends to urge them to promote a bardic festival at Granard, promising ample funds to defray expenses.  The Granard Harp  festival in 1781 was the first attempt at a Fleadh Ceoil na hÉireann.  This festival ran for many years and drew harpists from near and far.  There are still many keen and talented Harpists in the area.

St Patrick at Granard

All accounts of St Patrick’s missionary work among our ancestors narrate in some detail his visit to Granard.  He came from Ardagh where he had set up St Mel as first bishop of the place.  He was well received at Granard by Cairbre’s sons who offered him a ‘charming seat’ for his Church.  Granard at the time of St Patrick was one of the chief seats of pagan worship.  St Patrick preached to our ’ rude and unlettered forefathers’ and his preaching must have produced abundant fruit.  St Patrick himself selected a spot and left Guasacht, son of Melchu, in charge.  Melchu was the man who bought St Patrick from the slave dealers and held him in captivity for six years.   Guasacht is sometimes called St Patrick’s foster-brother.  So the church in Granard was founded by St Patrick and later had the distinction of having its priests and later its bishop, the first of St Patrick’s Irish disciples.  Guasacht was buried at Granard where his relics are venerated.