Navan Points of Pride Brochure - Meath County Council

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3 Meath County Infirmary The building on a height behind railings on the left-hand side of the street as you walk up Bridge Street is the Meath County Infirmary, the first of its kind in rural Ireland, founded in 1754 by the Meath Grand Jury, (forerunner of Meath County Council). It was one of the Medical Charities or Voluntary Hospitals which were beginning to be developed throughout Ireland in the 18th century. An inscription over the door from the Gospel of St. Mark reads “I was sick and you visited me”, which reflected the ethos of mid-18th century charitable institutions.
St. Mary’s Church of Ireland Built with local limestone in the mid 18th century, St. Mary’s Church of Ireland replaced an earlier medieval church on the same site. The tower, designed by the famous Irish architect, Francis Johnson, was added later. To the left of the church you can see a piece of a medieval cross from about 1500 with what is reputedly an image of St.Catherine of Alexandria, a favourite saint of the Normans in the east of Ireland. Inside, plaster corbels support an unusual star-shaped rib vault in both the nave and the chancel. Richly coloured stained glass windows date from the early19th century, and the walls are adorned with interesting memorials of prominent Navan figures. The most famous rectors of Navan were the father and son, both called Daniel Augustus Beaufort, descendents of the Huguenots. Between them, they were rectors from 1747 to 1818. The younger Dr. Beaufort was also a mapmaker. His son was Sir Francis Beaufort who devised the ‘Beaufort Scale‘ for measuring wind speed. A sea in the Arctic Ocean north of Canada bears his name. (Access to the Church and grounds is restricted.) Continue up this street onto Ludlow Street. The building on your right set behind railings is the old Courthouse. The Newgrange Hotel The Newgrange Hotel replaces the Club House or Russell Arms Hotel, which was built in 1837 by the Duke of Bedford, a member of the Russell family who acquired the Ludlow estate, as a meeting place for the gentlemen of the county. The last Russell to own land in Meath was the philosopher Bertrand Russell who sold the Navan estate to the tenants and occupiers in around 1906. (Lord John Russell, who built Ardsallagh House in the 1840s, was Prime Minister of England during the Great Famine.) The Gardens were very fine and Dean Jonathan Swift was said to be a regular visitor. The Newgrange Hotel continues to be a popular meeting place in the town.
Page 1 and 2: Navan Points of Pride Walking Tour
Page 3 and 4: By the late Middle Ages Navan was a
Page 5 and 6: Navan Points of Pride 1 The Solstic
Page 7 and 8: Ramparts Canal Walk 1 The Ramparts
Page 9: Follow the winding path through the
Page 13 and 14: 5 Continue up the hill and take a r
Page 15 and 16: On the opposite side of the road is
Page 17: Retrace your steps back to the main
Page 20 and 21: 8 The Ramparts If you fancy a nice
Page 22 and 23: 9 From here you cross the main road
Page 24 and 25: 11 The Market Square For many centu
Page 26 and 27: 13 Kennedy Place The open space in
Page 28 and 29: 14 Canon Row/De La Salle National S
Page 30 and 31: 15 Chapel Yard When you turn into t
Page 32: Our Tourist Information Centres can

Navan Points of Pride Brochure - Meath County Council

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