History of Granard.

The very earliest form of the name was Granairud. Later we find it mentioned as Granaret. A twelfth century scribe wrote it Granairud, but added, by way of explanation, that the place is called Granard nowadays. A ninth century life of St. Patrick calls it Granard. So the present-day form of the name has, at least, one thousand years behind it. The slight twist of the name from its ancient forms, and especially the introduction of ard, gave much scope for speculation to place-name enthusiasts. Some of these think that Granard means height of the sun, and that in pagan times it was a station for sun worship. Others say that the name means a high and sunny spot. Dr. O’Donovan rejects the idea that the name is derived from grian -the sun, and says that the name simply means Corn height or perhaps Barley hill. We sometimes hear it stated that Granard means the ugly height. Nobody of importance supports this theory. Dr. O’Donovan mentions it only to reject it. Probably Granairud and Granaret are both pre-Celtic names to which our Gaelic ancestors gave a Gaelic semblance; much as Gaelic names were later given corrupt English forms. Irish scholars have tried to explain the meaning and origin of the name. All we can say for certain is that Granard is one of the oldest place names in Ireland.

The most memorable feature of Granard is the great Norman earthwork, the largest in Ireland, which rises up at the end of the main street, the site of a castle erected here in 1199 by Richard Tuite, who was granted the lands of Granard by Hugh de Lacy. Held by the de Gennevilles and de Mortimers during the C13, Granard was reclaimed in the C15 by the O'Fearghaills and soon became a significant Irish market centre. In 1419 Parliament enacted a statute forbidding English merchants from trading there because of the damage it had caused to the markets of Meath. By the late C16 the town had reverted to the Crown, and in 1618 it was granted with the surrounding lands to Sir Francis Aungier. Neither castle nor any medieval building survives, and Granard today is a regular Georgian street town which was laid out during the late c 18 and early c 19. In 1787, when the Rev. Daniel Beaufort visited the place, it was a small town with a few neat looking houses and a footbarrack, whose proprietors, the McCartneys, had just recently erected a neat markethouse. Building continued during the ensuing decades, and two wall plaques record the building of Moxhams Street in 1809 and Water Street, erected by Tomas Tuite in 1813. The houses are of the characteristic large-gabled type, two and three storeys high, with sash windows diminishing towards the eaves, fanlit doorcases and the occasional blocked door surround. By the mid C19 the town had begun to decline and, with the notable exception of St Mary’s Church, the townscape has changed little since then.

St Mary’s Church is built on a predominant height overlooking the town. It 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.