Navan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Navan Irish: An Uaimh
Market Square
Navan Location in Ireland Show map of Ireland Navan Location in Europe Show map of Europe
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Meath
Dáil constituency	Meath West
Elevation	42 m (138 ft)
Population  (2022)
• Rank	9th
• Urban	33,886
Time zone	UTC±0 (WET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (IST)
Eircode routing key	C15
Telephone area code	+353(0)46

Navan is a busy town in County Meath, Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. Navan is located where the River Boyne and Blackwater River meet. This is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of Dublin. In 2022, Navan had a population of 33,886 people. This makes it the ninth largest town in Ireland.

Understanding Navan's Name

The Irish name for Navan is An Uaimh. This name likely comes from an old burial mound called An Odhbha. This mound was named after Odhbha, the first wife of a legendary Irish king, Érimón. Over time, people might have confused Odbha with the similar-sounding word uaimh. This word means "cave" or "underground passage."

The English name Navan probably comes from the Irish name. It might be a changed version of An Uaimh or An Odhbha(n). From 1922 to 1970, An Uaimh was the only official name for the town. Now, both the Irish and English names have equal official status.

Navan's Past: A Look at History

Early Times in Navan

Ancient Burial Mounds

An Odhbha was probably an ancient tumulus, which is a type of burial mound. There are many such mounds in the Boyne Valley.

Roman Objects Found

A small Roman copper figure was found in the River Boyne near Navan. This figure likely shows a Lar, a Roman god believed to protect homes. It was probably placed in the river as a gift. This was because the river was thought to be special, created by the goddess Boann. The Romans also believed rivers were divine. Two Roman coins have also been found in Navan.

Navan in the Middle Ages

The town of Navan was started by the Normans. In 1172, a Norman leader named Hugh de Lacy gave the area to one of his knights, Jocelyn de Angulo. Jocelyn de Angulo built a fort there, and the town grew around it.

Inside the old town walls, Navan had three main streets. These were Trimgate Street, Watergate Street, and Ludlow Street. Ludlow Street was once called Dublingate Street. The layout of these streets is still the same as it was in the Middle Ages. However, the buildings you see today are from later times.

More Recent History of Navan

The Navan Town Hall building was first a local jail in 1831. It became the town hall in 1983.

The town's Post Office on Trimgate Street was built in 1908. It was moved to Kennedy Road in 1990. A new shopping center changed the town's main area. The old post office building became the town's first McDonald's restaurant.

Getting Around: Bus Transport in Navan

Navan has many bus routes, but it does not have a main bus station.

Since 2020, there are two local bus routes run by Bus Éireann: the N1 and N2.

• The N1 bus goes from Commons Road to Kilcarn Bridge. It serves the town center and areas east of the River Boyne.
• The N2 bus goes from Commons Road to Aisling Place. It serves the town center and areas north of the Boyne and Blackwater Rivers.

Navan also has longer bus routes. Bus Éireann runs routes like the 109, 109A, and 109X, which go to Dublin. They also have an express service called NX. Other companies like Sillan, Royal Breffni Tours, and Streamline Coaches also provide services to other towns and colleges.

Learning in Navan: Schools and Education

Navan has many schools for different ages.

Secondary Schools in Navan

There are several secondary schools in Navan.

• St. Patrick's Classical School is a Catholic school for boys only.
• Loreto Secondary School, St. Michael's and St. Joseph's Secondary School are both Catholic schools for girls only.
• Coláiste na Mí is a school run by the VEC that opened in 2013.
• Beaufort College is a large state-owned school that welcomes students from all backgrounds.

Primary Schools in Navan

Navan and the areas nearby have many primary schools.

• Scoil Mhuire is the Catholic primary school for boys.
• St. Anne's Loreto, St. Paul's, St. Stephen's, St. Ultan's, and St. Oliver's are other primary schools.
• Scoil Éanna is the only gaelscoil in town, where lessons are taught through the Irish language.
• Flowerfield School is a Church of Ireland primary school.
• There is also an Educate Together primary school, which welcomes children of all beliefs.

Who Lives in Navan: Demographics

In 2022, there were 33,707 people living in Navan. Most people living in Navan are White Irish. There are also people from many other backgrounds, including White (other), Black, and Asian.

Sports and Games in Navan

Navan is a great place for sports.

Gaelic Games

Navan has several GAA clubs. These include Navan O'Mahonys and Simonstown Gaels.

Páirc Tailteann is a stadium in Navan. It is the home ground for the Meath Gaelic football and Hurling teams.

Football (Soccer)

Parkvilla Football Club started in 1966. Their main team plays in the North East Football League Premier Division.

Rugby

Navan R.F.C. plays in the All Ireland League (AIL) Division 2A.

Cricket

Knockharley Cricket Club was founded in 1982. It is the only cricket club in County Meath. They play in the Leinster Cricket Union.

Art Around Town: Public Sculptures in Navan

Navan has several interesting public artworks.

• Sniomh: This sculpture by Betty Newman Maguire is in front of Navan Fire Station. It is said to be inspired by how water moves and how the Boyne and Blackwater rivers join together.
• The Fifth Province: This sculpture by Richard King is on the Navan Bypass. It has four branches and a central stem. It represents hope and peace growing.
• The Bull: This large limestone statue of a bull was designed by Colin Grehan. It is in the market square. It weighs 16 tonnes and shows a bull being held by two people. It remembers the old bull markets that used to happen in Navan. This statue caused some debate because of its cost and where it was placed.

Old Stories: Folklore of Navan

• A local story says that an underground passage, called a Souterrain, was found near the Navan Viaduct in 1848. Its entrance has since been lost.
• Another tale is about the ghost of Francis Ledwidge, a poet. The story says that a friend of Ledwidge heard his motorcycle outside a local newspaper office. The friend was confused because Ledwidge was fighting in a war far away. When the friend went outside, Ledwidge had disappeared. This ghostly event supposedly happened at the exact moment Ledwidge died.
• In Irish myths, the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill studied by the River Boyne. People believe he caught the famous Salmon of Knowledge in what is now Navan.

Navan's Twin Towns

Navan is connected with these towns:

• Bobbio, Italy
• Broccostella, Italy

Famous People from Navan

Many well-known people are from Navan:

• Francis Beaufort, a scientist and naval officer
• Pierce Brosnan, an actor
• Shane Cassells, a politician
• Ian Clarke, a computer scientist
• Sam Curtis, a professional football player
• Keith Donegan, a racing driver
• Simon Fagan, a musician
• Anthony Holten, an author
• Donal Keogan, a Gaelic football player
• Gráinne Maguire, a comedian and writer
• Arthur Mathews, a comedy writer
• Conor Nash, an Australian Rules Footballer
• Helen McEntee, a politician
• Dylan Moran, a comedian
• John O'Callaghan, a DJ
• Hector Ó hEochagáin, a TV personality
• Joseph Rooney, a Catholic priest
• Tommy Tiernan, a comedian
• Paul Tighe, a Catholic leader
• Yemi Adenuga, a TV personality and Ireland's first black female elected Councillor

Images for kids

• 

  Ludlow Street around 1900–1939

• 

  Navan Town Hall

• 

  Map of Navan

• 

  Former Post Office, now a McDonald's

• 

  Navan Races (September 2007)

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  Francis Beaufort

See also

In Spanish: Navan para niños