Granard is a market town in the north of County Longford, 20 kilometres northeast of Longford town. The population is around 1,000. What defines it is the Motte - the high earthen mound that sits above the town like a kept promise. It is 163 metres high and one of the largest and most prominent mottes in Ireland. This was not an accident of geography; it was built that way on purpose, a Norman statement made in earth.
The Motte was raised around 1199 by Richard de Tuite, a Norman knight and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, granted land here under Henry II. For a while this was frontier architecture - the edge of English claim in an Irish landscape that did not wish to be claimed. Four hundred years later, in 1932, someone decided to put a statue of St Patrick on the summit, marking the 1500th anniversary of his arrival. There it stands, visible from the town below, visible from the roads that come in.
Walk to it. That is what Granard offers: the walk up, the view down, and the knowledge that you are standing where two histories collided and one is literally on top of the other.
Three things every local will eventually mention. Read these and you've already understood more than most day-trippers do.
Built by Norman knight Richard de Tuite around 1199, then topped with a St Patrick statue in 1932. One of the largest and most prominent mottes in Ireland. Walk to the top; the view explains why this spot was fought over.
Walks & outings → 02 The Greville ArmsBuilt around politics and romance - Michael Collins knew this place, and Kitty Kiernan lived here. The bar is the old bar. The rooms are the real rooms. Drink something and sit with that for a moment.
Where to stay → 03 The market townLivestock, farmers on Friday, bookshop crowds in April. The Booktown Festival brings readers and writers. Granard is not performing being a town - it is one.
When to go →None of these are themed Irish pubs, because they don't need to be. A few that earn the trip:
Main Street. The place that held Michael Collins and Kitty Kiernan. The bar has the air of a building that has seen something. Quiet enough to talk, substantial enough to stay.
| Place | Type | € | Local note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikki's Restaurant | Home-cooked traditional | €€ | Main Street. Traditional Irish dinners, desserts, proper teas. The kind of place where the staff know what they are doing and have been doing it for years. Open lunches and dinners. |
| Place | Type | Local note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Greville Arms | Hotel | Main Street, Granard. Rooms and history. The bar downstairs is worth sitting in even if you are staying upstairs. Book ahead; it is known. | |
The reason to come back. The things every local will eventually tell you about, usually after the second pint.
Wear waterproofs. Bring a sandwich. Tell someone where you're going if it's the mountain.
There is no bad time. There are different times.
April is Booktown Festival time. The town fills with readers. If you are not going for the festival, go anyway - the weather is warming and the days are long.
Quiet. Some things close. The Motte is worth the visit but the town itself is less active. Good if you want solitude.
The market town working at full swing. Farmers, livestock, the rhythms that made this place. Clear days for the Motte walk.
Cold and quiet. The Motte is harder going in wet weather. Visit the pub instead and talk to people who live here.
If a local was sitting beside you, this is the bit where they'd lean in.
You came to see one of the largest and most prominent mottes in Ireland. Do not sit in the car. Walk up. It takes thirty minutes.
This is a working market town, not a full-time tourist destination. Ring ahead. Verify.
Granard has Nikki's and the Greville Arms. Both are good. There is no third. Eat at one of these or bring provisions.
Longford town to Granard is 30 km (45 minutes) via the N55. From Cavan town, it is 35 km (50 minutes) via the N3/R200. From Dublin, allow 2 hours via the N4.
Bus routes via Longford or Cavan connect to Dublin and Galway. Local services are limited; a car is practical.
Nearest station is Longford or Mullingar. Then hire a car or taxi.
Shannon (SNN) is 2 hours by car. Dublin is 2.5 hours. Cork is 3 hours.