| St. Mary's Church, Callan | |||||||||
| Other Name: | Old Callan Church | ||||||||
| Native Name: | Cill Mhuire, Callainn | ||||||||
| Native Name Lang: | ga | ||||||||
| Pushpin Map: | Ireland | ||||||||
| Relief: | yes | ||||||||
| Coordinates: | 52.5441°N -7.3902°W | ||||||||
| Location: | Green Street, Callan, County Kilkenny | ||||||||
| Country: | Ireland | ||||||||
| Denomination: | Church of Ireland | ||||||||
| Previous Denomination: | Pre-Reformation Catholic | ||||||||
| Dedication: | Mary, mother of Jesus | ||||||||
| Functional Status: | inactive | ||||||||
| Embedded: |
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| Style: | Late Gothic | ||||||||
| Years Built: | c. 1250 | ||||||||
| Materials: | stone | ||||||||
| Diocese: | Ossory | ||||||||
St. Mary's Church is a medieval church and National Monument in Callan, Ireland.[1] [2]
St. Mary's is located in the centre of Callan, on the corner of Green Street and Mill Street (Augustine Street).[3]
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.
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]