Ireland's Oldest Town?

Granard’s historical claim goes back to 236 BC. Does that make it Ireland’s oldest town?

Mentioned in the ancient epic, the Táin Bó Cuailgne, it is one of the places where Queen Medb and her army stopped on their way to capture the Brown Bull of Cooley. The ‘Tain Trail’ is still signposted around the town.

When St Patrick came to the territory of Tethbha (now Longford) he was given land near where Granard now stands. Patrick left Guessach, the son of Milchu, as bishop of the locality. Milchu had been Patrick’s slave-master.

According to the 9^th century ‘Tripartite Life’, when Patrick returned to Ireland one of his first acts was to head north to seek a reconciliation with Milchu.

The former slave owner could not accept that a servant had anything to teach him and rather than meet killed himself by burning his house down around him.

His son Guessach and two daughters however had known Patrick from growing up together and joined him on his missionary travels. At Granard when Patrick made Guessach bishop he ‘gave the veil’ to the two sisters making them, probably, the first formal Religious Women or nuns, in Ireland.

However where Granard stands today is not the original site.  A mile away on another hill is Granardkille where a church, monastery and town had developed. Edward Bruce (brother of Robert) burnt the town down in 1315 and rather than rebuild it the people moved to greater security under the great Motte of nearby Granard Hill. A town grew beside the hill fort which had been strengthened by the Normans in 1199. Today it is still one of the best examples of a motte-and-bailey in the country.   

After scrambling up the sides of the impressive Motte and admiring its commanding view of the countryside, I set out to see what remained of the original town, Granardkille.  

Today there is no sign. A graveyard marks where Bishop Guessach’s church stood.  I looked among the well-tended graves for traces of an old building but had to settle for speculative photos.  

Milchu’s two daughters moved on to Clonbroney, ten mile away. The place name means ’Meadow of Broney’ but Milchu’s daughters were said to be both named Eimer. Who was Broney? Was there an earlier female saint there? If so, the two sisters were not the first in Ireland. (Such puzzles come up during a visit. I discovered later that Broney was a name of one of the sisters. They couldn’t call both Eimer all the time!) 

We know that the community of Women Religious that started there survived until 1163. In the 8^th century one of its members was a nationally famous spiritual guide (Anam Cara). Her ‘Life’ was recorded in Latin shortly after her death in 739.

Her name is Samthann and I was interested in her correspondence with Maelruan of Tallaght. He was an up-and-coming member of the Celi De movement trying to preserve the spirit of the early Desert Fathers & Mothers tradition in the Irish Church. Her message to the famous Maelruan shows a rare spirit of independence and confidence.

More on her and Clonbroney next time.