Annual Novena at St Mary's Church, Granard

What to expect

St Mary’s Church in Granard holds its annual novena to Our Blessed Lady on Wednesday evenings each autumn, a nine-week run of prayer that has become a fixture of the parish calendar. It starts at 7.30pm and runs on consecutive Wednesday nights, finishing on the last Wednesday before Christmas. On that pattern the 2026 novena is expected to open on Wednesday 28 October and close on Wednesday 23 December. The parish confirms the exact start date in the autumn, in the parish newsletter and in the Granard notes column, so check locally before travelling for the opening night.

Each evening follows broadly the same shape: prayers, scripture readings and a short reflection, generally led by one of the parish priests. The novena is open to the whole parish and to visitors, and regulars who attend every week mix with people who come along just once or twice during the run. Numbers are usually highest on the opening night and again in the final weeks before Christmas.

There is no ticket, registration or fee. Anyone can take a seat before 7.30pm, and while latecomers are welcome, the church can fill for the first session. Any changes to the time or format from week to week are usually flagged in the parish newsletter, handed out at the back of the church, and in the Granard notes column that runs weekly in the Longford Leader, so it is worth checking ahead if travelling from outside the town.

Getting there

St Mary’s Church stands in Granard, a market town in north County Longford on the N55, about 20km north of Longford town and roughly 15km from Edgeworthstown. The church is within easy walking distance of Granard’s Main Street, so an evening at the novena can be combined with a stop at one of the town’s shops or pubs beforehand. On-street parking is available around the town centre, with further parking near the church itself. Public transport options in the evening are limited, so most people travel by car; the drive from Longford town or from Cavan town takes about 20 to 25 minutes.