Early Years of Fr. Eugene O'Growney
Main Street, Athboy, Co. Navan
Black and white image of Main Street, Athboy, in the 1940s.
By permission of Meath County LibraryMain Street, Athboy, Co. Navan
By permission of Meath County Library
By permission of Meath County Library
Main Street, Athboy, Co. Navan
Black and white image of Main Street, Athboy, in the 1940s.
By permission of Meath County LibraryEugene O'Growney was born in Ballyfallon, near Athboy, Co. Meath, in 1863.
He went to the local national school and then to St. Finian's seminary in Navan. He later attended St. Patrick's College in Maynooth where he trained for the priesthood.
Fr. Eugene O'Growney's childhood home
A sketch of Fr. Eugene O'Growney's childhood home at Ballyfallon near Athboy, Co. Meath.
Fr. Eugene O'Growney's childhood home
Fr. Eugene O'Growney's childhood home
A sketch of Fr. Eugene O'Growney's childhood home at Ballyfallon near Athboy, Co. Meath.
Although O'Growney's parents didn't speak Irish and it wasn't spoken in the area in which he lived, as a young boy he became very interested in the Irish language.
O'Growney was ordained as a priest in 1889. He went to work as a curate in Co. Westmeath. He wrote articles in Irish which were published in the Gaelic Journal. He became editor of the journal in 1891.