St. Mary's Church, Callan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary's Church, Callan |
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| Old Callan Church | |
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Cill Mhuire, Callainn
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 St. Mary's Church, Callan
Location in Ireland
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| 52°32′39″N 7°23′25″W / 52.544064°N 7.39015°W | |
| 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 |
St. Mary's Church is a very old church in Callan, Ireland. It's so important that it's known as a National Monument! This means it's a special historical site protected by the country.
Contents
Where to Find St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's Church is right in the middle of Callan. You can find it where Green Street and Mill Street (also called Augustine Street) meet.
A Look at the Church's History
Building the Old Church
The first St. Mary's Church was built around the year 1250. A person named Hugh de Mapilton, who was the Bishop of Ossory, helped build it. Most of the church was rebuilt around 1460, but the tall tower on the west side stayed the same.
Special Stone Carvings
One very cool thing found here is a carved stone called the "Trinity Stone." It shows the Trinity, which is a Christian idea about God. This stone was made around 1520 by an artist named Rory O'Tunny. It's quite rare, and people only found it again in 1974! A small chapel (a side room for worship) was added to the church in 1530.
Later Years of the Church
The main part of the church, called the chancel, was used for worship by the Church of Ireland (a type of Christian church) until the 1970s.
Exploring the Church Building
The church has a main hall called a nave and a special area for the choir called a chancel. On the sides, there are north and south aisles. These aisles have cool arches that connect them to the main part of the church.
The chancel and choir areas still have their roofs. Inside the choir, you can see a square baptismal font, which is a basin used for baptisms.
Interesting Tomb-Chests
You'll also find some old tomb-chests inside the church. These are like stone boxes where people were buried. They don't have statues of people on them, but one shows a skeleton, and another has fancy carvings of vaulting (arched ceilings) and tracery (decorative patterns).
Unique Doorway Carving
Look closely at the north doorway! It has a carved head of a woman. She's wearing a special kind of headdress that was popular during the Tudor era, a long time ago in history.
