Granard

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Granard (Irish: Gránard) is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland and has a traceable history going back to 236 A.D.. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne.

The town has been a centre of population since Celtic times, probably because of its elevated position offering a view over the surrounding countryside. It is mentioned in the ancient Irish epic, the Táin Bó Cuailgne, as being one of the places where Queen Medb and her army stopped on their journey to take the Donn Cuailnge (the Brown Bull of Cooley). The name of the town is itself so ancient as to be unclear even in Irish; the eleventh-century writers of the Lebor na hUidre (containing the oldest written version of the Táin) refer to it by means of a gloss as "Gránairud Tethba tuaiscirt .i. Gránard indiu" ("Gránairud of northern Teathbha, i.e. Gránard of today"). According to the Tripartite Life of Saint Patrick, Patrick appointed Guasacht, a son of his former master Milchú, as first bishop of Granard, but the diocese did not survive as a separate entity.

Granard is known for the motte which stands 543 feet above sea level, located at the head of the town. Due to the location between the three rivers and near Lough Sheelin, it is also a centre for trout and coarse fishing. The Gaynors were once the Gaelic lords of Granard.

Well known personalities associated with Granard include:

Kitty Kiernan was born in Granard (1892-1945) and was the fiancee of Michael Collins
National Hunt champion Frank Berry lived in Granard
International show jumper Eddie Macken lived in Granard
Irish television presenter Brendan O'Reilly was born in Granard