St. Mary's Church, Callan

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

St. Mary's Church, Callan
Old Callan Church
Cill Mhuire, Callainn
St. Mary's Church, Callan
52.544064°N 7.39015°W / 52.544064; -7.39015
Location	Green Street, Callan, County Kilkenny
Country	Ireland
Denomination	Church of Ireland
Previous denomination	Pre-Reformation Catholic
History
Dedication	Mary, mother of Jesus
Architecture
Functional status	inactive
Style	Late Gothic
Years built	c. 1250
Specifications
Materials	stone
Administration
Diocese	Ossory
National monument of Ireland
Official name	Callan Church
Reference no.	455

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

1784 drawing

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]}