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History of the Town
The town’s original Irish name of Dun Garbhan takes its name from Saint Garbhann who founded a church here in the seventh century.
The Stone Age
In the late 1800's excavations at a local cave uncovered Ireland's only cache of mammoth elephant bones. Some 40,000 years ago, Dungarvan town provided ideal living conditions for wooly mammoths, horses and giant ground sloths.
Stone age settlements have been found in the area around the town but Dungarvan's history really began in the third century when a tribe called the Deise settled there. The original Irish name of the town, Dun Garbhan (Garbhan's Fort) takes its name from Saint Garbhan, who founded a church there in the 17th century.
The Anglo-Norman Times
The town grew into an urban centre in the shelter of a large Anglo-Norman fortification founded in 1185. In 1215 the town was granted a charter by King John. Recent excavations revealed much about Dungarvan's early history. As a town, it really only came into existence in tthe Norman period. A church at the top of the town was linked to the castle by a single street - called Church street. A wall on the land side of the town ran from the church to the castle.
The Cromwellian Era
Oliver Cromwell marched his army into Dungarvan in 1649 and spared the town after a local woman offered him a goblet of wine during his victorious entry into the city gates.
The Duke of Devonshire
In the early 19th century Dungarvan was re-planned by the 5th and 6th Dukes of Devonshire, when a new square, streets and a bridge were constructed. Today it is a thriving business and residential centre, providing an appealing blend of traditional and modern lifestyles.
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