40 years ago, on January 31, 1984, a 15-year-old schoolgirl named Ann Lovett died giving birth to her son.

She was at a Grotto in Granard where she gave birth to her son who was a stillborn. Lovett’s story sparked outrage across the country as well as a more open conversation about women and pregnancy.

This year, Paddy Goodwin released the song Granard Grotto, as a way to give Lovett a voice in her story. Goodwin says, “I wrote this song in 2018 and see it as a tribute to her and a sad reflection of how the country was in 1984.”

The vocals and mandolin are performed by Goodwin and he is accompanied by B J Cole on the pedal steel. The track was engineered by Jason Varley at the Shop Studio Carlingford. The music video for Granard Grotto was created by Enda White.

While what happened to Lovett was a tragedy, Goodwin hopes that the song will be a way for the public to reflect on the events of her death.