People Noted residents and former residents include:- Colonel Dan Bryan, head of the Irish Army's intelligence unit G2 during "The Emergency" (World War II), was born in Dunbell near Gowran. James Butler was created 1st Earl of Ormonde in 1328. He married Lady Eleanor De Bohun in 1327. After their marriage, she became Countess of Ormonde. Eleanor was a granddaughter of King Edward Ι of England and niece of King Edward ΙΙ of England. James is buried in St.Mary's Church Gowran. D. J. Carey who was born here. He played hurling for Kilkenny until his retirement in 2006. He is regarded as an icon of the sport and has won most of the major honours in the game. The ancestors of Walt Disney are from Gowran. Arundel Elias Disney, emigrated from Gowran, County Kilkenny, where he was born in 1801. Kilkenny hurlers Kevin Fennelly and Lester Ryan William Butler Yeats was a descendant of the Butlers of Neigham (pronounced Nyam) in the townland of Neigham Gowran. His great, great grandmother, Mary Butler of the Neigham branch of the Butler family married Benjamen Yeats in Tullamore in 1773. Many generations of the Butlers lived in Gowran and surrounds for over 500 years following the Norman Invasion in 1169, after which Theobald Fitzwalter was granted lands around Gowran. Theobald was the ancestor of the Butler and Ormonde families. He incorporated the Town of Gowran sometime after 1177. He died in 1206. The Manor of Gowran, around 44 000 acres remained in Butler hands until c.1700 The early Butler Earls of Ormonde are buried in St. Mary's Church Gowran. Neigham Castle was built about 1477 by Sir James Butler for his eldest son Edmund. He was called "The Earl of Gowran". See also List of towns and villages in Ireland Ordnance Survey of Ireland (OSI) Further reading O'Kelly, Owen (1985), The Place Names of County Kilkenny. Published by Kilkenny Archaeological Society Prim, John G A. (2002), Nooks and Corners of the County Kilkenny. Published by Grangesilvia Publications, Kilkenny O'Neill, Gerry. (2005), Kilkenny GAA Bible. Produced by Kilkenny GAA Yearbook Committee References External links Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick and father of James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormond James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormond James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond Dungarvan Church built about 1811 Gowran, a Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837 The Fitzpatrick – Mac Giolla Phádraig