St. Mary's Church, Callan

52°32′39″N 7°23′25″W / 52.544064°N 7.39015°W / 52.544064; -7.39015LocationGreen Street, Callan, County KilkennyCountryIrelandDenominationChurch of IrelandPrevious denominationPre-Reformation CatholicHistoryDedicationMary, mother of JesusArchitectureFunctional statusinactiveStyleLate GothicYears builtc. 1250SpecificationsMaterialsstoneAdministrationDioceseOssoryOfficial nameCallan ChurchReference no.455

St. Mary's Church is a medieval church and National Monument in Callan, Ireland.^[1][2]

Location

St. Mary's is located in the centre of Callan, on the corner of Green Street and Mill Street (Augustine Street).^[3]

History

St. Mary's Church was built c. 1250 by Hugh de Mapilton, Bishop of Ossory. All but the west tower was replaced c. 1460.^[4]

A carved "Trinity Stone," depicting the Trinity, is one of only a few surviving and was sculpted by Rory O'Tunny c. 1520. It was rediscovered in 1974. A chapel was added in 1530.^[5]

The chancel continued as a Church of Ireland (Anglican) place of worship until the 1970s.

Church

The church is a nave and chancel with north and south aisles, which have four-arch arcades. The chancel and choir are roofed, and inside the choir is a square baptismal font.

There are tomb-chests in the church but no effigies: one depicts a skeleton and another vaulting and tracery.

The north doorway depicts a carved head of a woman wearing a distinctive horned headdress of the Tudor era.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

References