Gowran
| Gowran Irish: Gabhrán | |
| County Kilkenny | |
|---|---|
 St. Mary's Collegiate Church, Gowran | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | S632535 |
| Location: | 52°37’45"N, 7°4’0"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 804 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Castlecomer |
| Dáil constituency: |
Carlow–Kilkenny |
Gowran is a town on the eastern side of County Kilkenny. The historic St Mary's Collegiate Church[1] is in the centre of Gowran, close to Gowran Castle. Gowran Park race course and Golf Course are half a mile from the centre of Gowran. The town is eight miles east of Kilkenny city, on the R448 road where it is crossed by the R702 road. Gowran is in a townland and Barony of the same name.
History
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Gowran was a place of importance before the Norman invasion, as a royal residence of the Kings of Ossory, who were sometimes recorded as the Kings of Gowran.[2] Edward the Bruce with his army of Scots and Ulstermen took the town in 1316. James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormonde built Gowran Castle in 1385 close to the site of the present castle and town walls were erected circa 1415. King James I made Gowran a parliamentary borough in 1608.
The town, under the command of Colonel Robert Hammond, surrendered to Oliver Cromwell on 21 March 1650 following a siege. Colonel Hammond was a cousin of Cromwell. The soldiers of the garrison accepted Cromwell's offer of quarter for their lives and handed their officers over to the Parliamentarians. Cromwell ordered the execution by firing squad of all but one of the officers; a priest captured in the castle was hanged.[3]
In 1688, James II granted A Charter of Incorporation to the town and, of 18 burgesses listed, six were Kealys. A Magdelan hospital was built outside the walls circa 1578 "For the relief of poor leprous people". Gowran was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800.
Gowran railway station opened on 14 November 1850 and closed on 1 January 1963.[4]
Churches
In the centre of the village is the historic St. Mary's Collegiate Church which contains monuments from the 14th to 17th centuries. This Collegiate Church was built in the late 13th century on the site of an earlier monastery. It was served by a "college"—clerics who lived in a community but who did not submit to the rule of a monastery. They lived in a house, now destroyed, beside the Church. The Church was a large and elaborate structure, with an aisled nave—the main part of the Church where the congregation gathered—and a long chancel—the section of the Church where the altar was placed—and has high-quality architectural sculpture used throughout. In the Late Middle Ages a massive tower was inserted between the nave and chancel, and in the 19th century this tower was incorporated into the parish church which was built in place of the chancel and which now takes up about half of the building. There were also several other changes made to the Church at various periods. St Mary's Church is now a National Monument.
The Roman Catholic Church is the Church of the Assumption.
Barony of Gowran
Gowran is at the centre of the Barony of the same name. The Barony of Gowran. Most of the eastern boundary of the barony of Gowran is formed by the River Barrow.
Richard FitzPatrick was created Lord Gowran in 1715, and his son John was created Earl of Upper Ossory in 1751. Both titles became extinct in 1818.
Gowran Park and Annaly Estate
Gowran Park horse racing course and golf course is located near the village. In 2014, Gowran Park celebrated a century of racing at the venue, the first race meeting having been held there on 16 June 1914.
In 1914, the Gowran Park racecourse was part of the Annaly Estate Gowran. At that time the Gowran Castle estate was owned by Lady Annaly who was a keen follower of sport. She attended cricket matches in Gowran. In 1900 she presented a silver cup to the Gowran cricket club which is still kept in Gowran. The Lady Annaly Cup was played annually. In 1930 she presented the County Championship Trophy at Northamptonshire Golf Club.
Lady Annaly's father, Henry Agar-Ellis 3rd Viscount Clifden owned a number of horses the most successful of which were Crucifix and Surplice, who won many classics. Surplice won the Epsom Derby and the St Leger in 1848.
Her husband, Lord Annaly was one of the first stewards at Gowran Park. The Annaly estate in Gowran was a walled estate of 774 acres set amidst a historic landscape of Norman castles and the historic St. Mary's Church, with woodlands, lakes, deer park, a home farm, out farms, stables, coach house orchards, walled gardens and walking trails. The Gowran river flows through the estate.
The "Gowran Wall" which was built around the estate in the 18th and 19th centuries was 4.5 miles long and is still in existence today. The estate wall forms part of the racecourse boundary wall. The estate was part of the Gowran Castle estate. Gowran Castle is located in the centre of the town of Gowran one mile from Gowran Park racecourse.
The Gowran Castle estate became known as the Annaly estate after the Hon. Liliah Georgiana Augusta Constance Agar-Ellis (1862–1944) married Luke White (Lord Annaly), 3rd Baron Annaly (1862–1922). After her marriage to Lord Annaly, she became known as Lady Annaly. Lilah inherited the Gowran Agar estate. She was a descendant of Charles Agar who came to Gowran c.1650 from Yorkshire in England. Charles Agar and many of his descendants are buried in St. Mary's Church Gowran (Church open to visitors during the summer months. Grounds open all year round). Later members of the Agar family held the title of Viscount Clifden over several generations. The Agars were often referred to as Lords Clifden or Clifdens of Gowran.
Sport
Gowran is known for its racecourse, Gowran Park, which hosts the Thyestes Chase (The Grand National of the South), a steeplechase. There is also a pitch and putt course in the village.
- Athletics: Gowran Athletic Club[5]
- Football: Ajax
- Gaelic sport: Young Irelands Gaelic Athletic Association Club
Outside links
- Library Ireland biogarphies:
- Dungarvan Church built about 1811
- Gowran, a Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837
- The Fitzpatrick – Mac Giolla Phádraig Clan Society
References
- ↑ A History of St. Mary's Church. Text by Imelda Kehoe. Published by the Gowran Development Association 1992
- ↑ The Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland, 1870.
- ↑ British Civil Wars
- ↑ "Gowran station". Railscot – Irish Railways. http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf.
- ↑ Gowran Athletic Club
- Gabhrán / Gowran: Placenames Database of Ireland
Further reading
- O'Kelly, Owen (1985), The Place Names of County Kilkenny. Published by Kilkenny Archaeological Society
- Prim, John G A. (2002), Nooks and Corners of the County Kilkenny. Published by Grangesilvia Publications, Kilkenny
- O'Neill, Gerry. (2005), Kilkenny GAA Bible. Produced by Kilkenny GAA Yearbook Committee
- Drennan, Catherine (1965). "Gowran". Old Kilkenny Review (Kilkenny): 52–64.
- Gavin, Alyson (2007). "The Whites of Gowran House". Old Kilkenny Review (Kilkenny): 115–128.
- Sparks, May (1949). "Gowran". Old Kilkenny Review (Kilkenny): 43–46.
- McEvoy, Frank (1985). "Gowran in Maps". Old Kilkenny Review (Kilkenny): 174–176.