Though Henry Grattan’s name is undoubtedly familiar to most Irish people, often because it is associated with the name of a street in a local town or, they will have seen his fine statue in Dublin’s College Green, but probably many less will be aware of his important role in Irish history in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Fewer still will be cognisant of his association with county Laois, and with the village of Vicarstown in particular.
From about 1780 he owned a large estate there, which included the area where the village now is, and for all that he never actually lived there, he did have a hunting lodge at Dunrally, on the banks of the river Barrow which bordered the estate.
It is said that he spent many happy hours there while taking time off from his busy political life.
The Grattan family association with the area continued long after the death of Henry in 1820.
His grand-daughter, Pauline Grattan-Bellew built a fine house at the edge of the village which is still known as Grattan Lodge.
In 1868 she built a school in the village to educate the children of her tenants and this building still stands, both physically and proudly in the hearts of the local people.
So it is appropriate that it is in this building that a lecture will take place on The Life and Times of Henry Grattan on Friday April 26 next at 8 pm.
The lecture will be given by Dr. James Kelly, Professor of History at Dublin City University.
Dr. Kelly has written extensively on the historical period in question, including biographies of Henry Grattan and his friend and political colleague Henry Flood. He has also written on sport in Ireland.
Entrance to the lecture is as very reasonable €5, with proceeds going to the old school restoration fund.
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