St. Mary’s Church, Callan

The town of Callan is reputed to have been founded by the famous knight William Marshall who granted it its first charter in 1217. Although there are suggestions for an earlier date for the building of St. Mary’s Church it is generally accepted that it was built circa 1250 by Hugh de Mapilton who was the Bishop of St. Canice’s Cathedral in Kilkenny from 1251. Little of this original church survives today apart from the five-storey tower at the western end of the site, as the majority of the structure was demolished and rebuilt from circa 1460. It is from this period that the nave, chancel and side aisles date from.

Following the Reformation, St. Mary’s became a place of Protestant worship, though it reverted briefly to Roman Catholicism following the rebellion of 1641 and the formation of the Irish Catholic Confederation. By the end of the 18^th century the nave was in ruin, but the chancel continued in use as the Church of Ireland parish church. With the chancel being re-roofed in the 1830’s, public worship continued on site until the early 1970’s. The nave and tower came in to state care in 1949 and the chancel was transferred to state care in 1976.

A number of interesting decorative architectural features survive in the ruins including window tracery. Of particular interest is the tracery found in one window in the south aisle as it is identical to the tracery of a window in a side chapel of Kilcooley Abbey in Co. Tipperary. Another decorative feature of interest can be found in the nave of the church that was originally entered via one of two doors, one in the north wall and the corresponding one in the south wall. The moulding framing the arches of both doors is supported by a pair of carved angels, one at either side of the door frame. Above the arch of the north doorway is a carving depicting a head of a woman wearing a “horned” head-dress typical of the 15^th century.

There is a fine collection of 16^th and 17^th century tombstones in the nave with the highlight being one carved by Rory O’Tunney that commemorates John Tobyn. The O’Tunneys were a family of stone sculptors that is said to have originated in Callan and were famous for the quality of their work. Examples of their skill and craftsmanship can be found at other sites in the region including at Jerpoint Abbey, St. Canice’s Cathedral, Tullaroan Church and Kilcooley Abbey. A carved stone depicting the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, otherwise known as a “Trinity Stone” or the “Throne of Grace”, and attributed to Rory O’Tunney was originally located in St. Mary’s Church. The stone was rediscovered in 1974 and was later donated to the current Catholic Church where it was put on display in 2011.

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This national monument is protected in accordance with the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014