Mill St, Callan

Area

1,355 m²

Buildings

1 building touches it, 483 m² on the ground

Zoning

G5 Open Space / GI (Kilkenny City and County Development Plan 2021-2027) The objective
C2.1 Industrial (Kilkenny City and County Development Plan 2021-2027) The objective

Townland

Drimeen

Planning applications on this parcel

• 24 Aug 2021Conditional

  to install an array of photovoltaic panels on the roof of the existing builders providers. The works will consist of a 375m2 array on the southeast roof & associated ancillary equipment/site works

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 21726

• 9 Sept 2019Conditional

  for new mezzanine office space, new garden centre extension at the southwest elevation, new windows at the southwest and northwest elevations, new totem pole signage at the front entrance and revision to design granted under Planning Reference No. 18/796 consisting of: a change of use from warehouse to retail space, door/shutter door repositioning at the northwest elevation, rearrangement of car parking, alterations to the front boundary to the boundary wall, alterations to existing site entrances, minor reconfiguration of granted retail space and associated site works

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 19647

• 4 Dec 2018Conditional

  for change of use of part of an existing warehouse (area 766m) to builders providers retail floor space, an extension to the existing warehouse (area 556m) for storage, a glass entrance porch extension to the front of the extended building, additional car parking at the front of the site and all associated site works on lands. A Natura Impact Statement has been submitted with the application

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 18796

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

• Special Area of Conservation: River Barrow and River Nore SAC 002162

Recorded monuments around it

This parcel is in the zone of notification of 80 recorded monuments.

• KK026-010 Historic town
  Description

  The medieval town of Callan, located 15km SW of Kilkenny, was situated primarily on the S bank of the NW-SE flowing Kings River (formerly the River Rye), with a northern suburb across the river, between the manorial demesne to the W, with its motte and bailey (KK026-010009-), and the Augustinian Friary (KK026-010016-) to the E. Thomas (1992, vol. 2, 31) suggests that the town began life as a castle settlement which then spread to the less restricted space S of the river. The town owes it origins to William Marshal, earl of Pembroke and lord of Leinster between 1190 and 1219, who granted the town a charter in 1217 (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 292). The town was burned in 1286 and again in 1317, during the Bruce invasion, at which time the town charter was also burnt (ibid.; Curtis 1934, 362-3). By the 14th century the town must have been of significant stature as in 1344, ‘a Parliament was summoned to meet at Callan, to which came Maurice fitz Thomas Fitzgerald, Earl of Desmond, bringing with him several thousand men; but the King, fearing that evil instead of good would result therefrom, issued an edict prohibiting the magnates of the country from attending the said Parliament’ (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 292). In 1388, letters patent of Richard II grant to Lord Thomas de Ferrars and Lady Anne la Despenser, ‘thirty-three librates [land worth £1 a year], fifteen solidates [gold coins] and three denariates [silver coins] of rents from Callan and the advowson of the church there’ (Curtis 1934, 208, deed 287). In 1391, Hugh le Despenser, who according to Carrigan was a representative of the Marshall family, sold to James Butler, Earl of Ormond, ‘all messuages, etc., which he has in Callan le Hille and le Irraght [territory] of Callan together with advowson of the church of Callan and 33l. 15s. 3d. of rent in Callan’ (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 292; Curtis 1934, 213, deed 297). The rights of the burgesses of the town were reconfirmed in 1407 (Curtis 1934, 362-3, deed 441). The following year, ‘O’Carroll, lord of Eile O’Carroll, in the King’s County [Offaly], and 800 of his name and allies were slain, at Callan, by James, Earl of Ormond’ (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 292). In the late 16th century, 1585, Callan was empowered to send two representatives to Parliament and the town continued to do so until the Act of Union in 1800 (ibid. 293). The author of ‘Aphorismical Discovery’ (Gilbert (ed.) 1880, 64), states that during Cromwell’s campaign in Ireland, in 1650, the town was garrisoned by Ormond with 1500 men, though the town surrendered after some intense fighting (Kennedy 1984, 47-51). The town has two main thoroughfares, one (Green St./Upper Bridge St.) aligned roughly N-S running up to a bridging point (KK026-010083-), and the other (West St./Mill St. (formerly East St.)) running E-W. There were probably also numerous lanes, an archaeological excavation (licence no. 04E1518) on the S side of Mill St. revealed a cobbled lane and portion of a burgage boundary (Ó Drisceoil 2005). Where the two main streets intersected formed the focal point of the borough. The market place, with its market cross (KK026-010006-) was located at this crossroads and the parish church (KK026-010012-) is situated immediately to the SE. There is no surviving evidence of a town wall (KK026-010007-), however, there are references and cartographic evidence of town gates to the E, S and W gate, the locations of which would suggest that Callan was a very large town of c. 34 hectares, as well as an inner gate, possibly ‘Skerry’s Castle’ (KK026-010008-), on West Street which hints at a possible inner town defence (Thomas 1992, vol. 2, 30-31). Cartographic evidence shows that the S town boundary ran along Lower Green Lane (previous called Fair Green Lane and Cuddy’s Lane) to the SE and Chapel Lane to the SW (Manning 1998, 63). It would appear that while the buildings of the town were concentrated around the crossroads and the two main streets, a large area within the town boundary was utilised as gardens, orchards, fields and meadows. This is supported by numerous references to gardens, orchards, fields and meadows in the Ormond Deeds from the 14th to the 17th century and in the Civil Survey (1655-6) (Curtis 1932, 356, deed 848; Curtis 1941, vol. 5, 281-6, deed 292; Curtis 1943, vol. 6, 4-5, deed 2; Manning 1998, 52-9). In the Civil Survey (1654-6) for Callan there are references to 67 houses in the town, including 31 thatched cabins, 16 thatched houses and 20 slate houses, as well as 20 house plots or plots with 'old stone walls', presumably the latter containing ruinous houses (Manning 1998, 52-9). Fabric from these medieval and early modern houses in the town is likely to survive in many of the houses in the town. Other more indirect traces of medieval occupation has been found in the town through archaeological excavation, for instance, c. 30m S of the medieval frontage of West St., a medieval cesspit (outdoor toilet) was revealed, which would have been associated with a medieval house (Giacometti 2011; excavation licence no. 11E0234). The Civil Survey also mentions two inns, one called, 'The sign of the Bell', in a two-storey stone house with a slate roof on West St. and the other, seemingly larger on South St. (Green St.), 'The Sign of Helmet', in a two-storey stone house with a slate roof, also described as having, '2 chimneys, 6 rooms & a cellar' (Manning 1998, 52, 57). There are also references to castles, some were probably urban tower houses while others may be associated with town gates (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 296; Manning 1998, 52-9). There is a reference, in 1595, in the Ormond Deeds to, ‘a castle in the east street of Callan’ and this is probably, ‘A large castle joining to the East Gate’ mentioned in the Civil Survey (1655-6) (Curtis 1943, vol. 6, 3-4, deed 2; Manning 1998, 59). In the N suburb, a castle is mentioned in ‘Kenles street’ in 1593 and this is probably the same, ‘ruins of a castle house’ described on Kells Street in the Civil Survey (1655-6) (Curtis 1943, vol. 6, 2, deed 2; Manning 1998, 56). In the Ormond Deeds there are references to land which appears to be in the northern or transpontine suburb, which also had town defences and a town gate (Curtis 1937, vol. 4, 181, deed 225; Curtis 1941, vol. 5, 324, deed 365). The suburbs main thoroughfare, Lower Bridge St. (also called Kenles and Kells St.) running N-S between the main bridge (KK026-010083-) and the bridge (KK026-010084-) over the mill race, with another street, Mill Lane (also called Kennie, Kynnes and St Kenyes St.) running E from Lower Bridge St. before curving northward to join the Kilkenny road (Curtis 1937, 188, deed 240; Curtis 1941, vol. 5, 286, deed 292; Manning 1998, 67). Other street names are also referred to in the Ormond Deeds which appear to relate to the N suburb. From the 14th century onwards there are references to, ‘Callan le Hille’ or the hill of Callan (Curtis 1934, vol. 2, 213, deed 297). A lease of 1577 describes, ‘a mease [rented property] in the hill of Callan by the north end of the great bridge’, while others refer to ‘messuages [a house with outbuildings and a parcel of land/yard] and gardens’, ‘in the hill of Callan situated between both the bridges’ (Curtis 1941, vol. 5, 284-6, deed 292). This suggests that the area is N of the Kings River, between the main bridge and the mill race bridge, and was possibly so named after the ‘hill’ or motte which is such a dominant feature there, though it has been suggested that it may refer to the hill currently occupied by the Loretto Convent (Clutterbuck et al. 2006, 11). Another lease refers to, ‘a messuage with a garden in the hill of Callan at the Haggard lane’ (ibid.). If this is the case then Haggard Lane is also in this northern suburb. There are also references to Haggard St. which may be the same as the lane or a street associated with the lane (Curtis 1941, vol. 5, 282-3, deed 292). It follows that the ‘Haggard gate’ is a town gate on Hagg

• KK026-010003 Castle - tower house
  Description

  Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 292-3) mentions several castles in Callan, though these are difficult to precisely locate. According to Carrigan (ibid. 293), ‘Upon and inside it [Callan] there were several castles. One of these stood on the site now occupied by Mrs. Meany's Grocery and Spirit Establishment; another at the opposite corner of the street, in Mr. James Pollard’s yard’. This suggests that the castle (KK026-010003-) occupied by Meany’s c. 1900 and the castle (KK026-010004-) opposite it, is at the crossroads in the centre of town, one possibly occupying the NW angle and the other located in a yard in the opposite SW angle (Farrelly et al. 1993, vol. 1, 114-15; vol. 2, map 7:3). A two-storey hipped-roof building currently occupies the NW angle, presenting three bays on West Street and two bays on Bridge Street, with a shop at ground level. It is possible that the current building incorporates medieval fabric. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 8 June 2022

• KK026-010004 Castle - tower house
  Description

  Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 292-3) mentions several castles in Callan, though these are difficult to precisely locate. According to Carrigan (ibid. 293), ‘Upon and inside it [Callan] there were several castles. One of these stood on the site now occupied by Mrs. Meany's Grocery and Spirit Establishment; another at the opposite corner of the street, in Mr. James Pollard’s yard, where one of its cut-stone gothic doors is still preserved’. This suggests that the castle (KK026-010003-) occupied by Meany’s c. 1900 and the castle (KK026-010004-) opposite it, is at the crossroads in the centre of town, one possibly occupying the NW angle and the other located in a yard in the opposite SW angle (Farrelly et al. 1993, vol. 1, 114-15; vol. 2, map 7:4). A drawing c. 1813 shows the tops of four tower houses from near St Augustine's Well, one of which, according to Manning (1998, 66) is , 'near the corner of Green (South) St. and West St.' which suggests that the tower house survived in good condition until the first half of the 19th century. It is described in the Civil Survey (1654-6) (ibid. 55) with property 63 as, 'A slated house, 2 storeys high. A demolished castle at the west side of the same, 3 storeys high, length 45 foot, broad 21. No garden. Five rooms, 1 chimney'. The owner is given as, 'Garrald ffittz Garrald' with 'George Darker P[rotestan]t' as the tenant (ibid.). A two-storey hipped-roof building currently occupies the SW angle, presenting three bays on West Street and two bays on Green Street, with a shop at ground level, with a yard to the rear. It is possible that medieval fabric, including the medieval doorway, is incorporated in the buildings facing onto this yard. See attached: KK026-010004-_01 Drawing c. 1813 in Manning 1998, 66, fig. 16 Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 8 June 2022

• KK026-010005 Castle - tower house
  Description

  In the first half of the 19th century, Robertson made several sketches of St Mary’s church (KK026-010012-) in Callan and of the town itself and included in the sketches is an urban tower house (Manning 1998, 68-9). On one version, printed in 1851, the tower house is shown N of church, roughly on the same line as the church tower. The S portion of the rear, E wall, is drawn as a three storey building with a somewhat ruinous parapet, defined by a string-course, with a chimney mid-way along the parapet. It has a hipped-roof in good condition. There are well-cut quoins on the SE angle. At ground-floor level there is an arched opening which appears to be blocked up, as there is a square feature in the centre of the blocking, possibly a plaque associated with the adjoining graveyard. There are two narrow loops at first-floor level and at second floor level an inserted window at the S end (8 over 8 panes, probably timber sash) and a loop N of this. Fabric of this tower house is possibly incorporated in the three-storey building with attic which currently occupies the site. It presents a four-bay elevation facing Green Street and a three-bay side elevation facing Mill Street (https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/12314058/old-charter-house-the-green-street-edmund-ignatius-rice-street-mill-street-callan-south-callan-kilkenny; accessed 7 June 2022). The N end of the roof is hipped and the S end gabled, with a slate-hung gable to the roof height of the attached two-storey building. The other external faces are rendered. There are two large chimney stacks orientated E-W. The building was probably largely remodelled in the mid-18th century when it was established as a charter school. See attached: KK026-010005-_01 Sketch by Robertson 1851 KK026-010005-_02 Sketch by Robertson in Manning 1998, 69 KK026-010005-_03 Sketch by Robertson in Manning 1998, 69 Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 7 June 2022

• KK026-010006 Cross - Market cross
  Description

  At the intersection of Green Street and Upper Bridge Street, running N-S, with West Street and Mill Street, running E-W. Kennedy (1990, 294) notes that there were two market days per week in Callan, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, which were authorised by a royal charter granted in the year 1568 by Queen Elizabeth I. The cross is indicated on an estate map by Thomas Stuish dating to 1681 (Farrelly et al. 1993, 62; National Archives M2841). According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 296), the market cross was still standing towards the end of the 18th century. He quotes the author of a 'Tour in Ireland in 1779', who described the cross as having, 'a square glass lanthorn that gives light in the night to travellers that come from the four cardinal points of the compass' (ibid.). The date of its removal and its present location are unknown. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 17 May 2022

• KK026-010007 Town defences
  Description

  The medieval town of Callan, located 15km SW of Kilkenny, was situated primarily on the S bank of the NW-SE flowing Kings River (formerly the River Rye), with a northern suburb across the river, between the manorial demesne to the W, with its motte and bailey (KK026-010009-), and the Augustinian Friary (KK026-010016-) to the E. There is no surviving evidence of a town wall, however, there are references and cartographic evidence of town gates to the E, S and W gate, the locations of which would suggest that Callan was a very large town of c. 34 hectares, as well as an inner or ‘midle’ gate, possibly ‘Skerry’s Castle’ (KK026-010008-), on West Street which hints at a possible inner town defence (Thomas 1992, vol. 2, 30-31). Cartographic evidence shows that the S town boundary ran along Lower Green Lane (previous called Fair Green Lane and Cuddy’s Lane) to the SE and Chapel Lane to the SW (Manning 1998, 63). Archaeological excavations (licence no. 01E0014) on Lower Green (Fair Green) Lane revealed two fosses which appear to be part southern town defences (Elliott 2002). According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 292), Callan’s town walls were constructed in the 15th century but, ‘of the enclosing wall (with its cleemoore, or fosse) only a small fragment remains, at the east end of Mill-Street (formerly East St.)’. There are numerous references to castles in Callan, some were probably urban tower houses while others may be associated with town gates (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 296). There is a reference in 1595 in the Ormond Deeds to, ‘a castle in the east street of Callan’ and this is probably, ‘A large castle joining to the East Gate’ mentioned in the Civil Survey (1655-6) (Curtis 1970, vol. 6, 3-4, deed 2; Manning 1998, 59). In the N suburb, a castle is mentioned in ‘Kenles street’ in 1593 and this is probably the same, ‘ruins of a castle house’ described on Kells Street in the Civil Survey (1655-6) (Curtis 1970, vol. 6, 2, deed 2; Manning 1998, 56). The N suburb also had town defences and at least one town gate. Descriptions in the Ormond Deeds of the ‘hill of Callan’ suggest that this was located in the N suburb. Within this area there are references to Haggard Lane and Haggard St., possibly one and the same (Curtis 1941, vol. 5, 282-3, deed 292). It follows that the ‘Haggard gate’ is a town gate on Haggard Lane/St. (Curtis 1937, vol. 4, 181, deed 225). In 1539 the Ormond Deeds there is a reference to a property in the town which, ‘lies by the Haggard gate in length from the King’s street in the east to the common ditch in the west’ (ibid.). A deed of 1583 gives permission, ‘granted by the sovereign, portreeve, burgesses and commons of Callan to Richard Merry of the same to enlarge a holding on Kenles street (Kells St./Lower Bridge St.) on condition that he shall extend, hedge, cast and cut the town ditch outside the holding in good defensible and decent manner from time to time’ (Curtis 1941, vol. 5, 324, deed 365). In the ‘Aphorismical Discovery’, a contemporary account of the Cromwellian campaign in Ireland, describes how, in 1650, ‘Ormond did apeinte a garrison in Calluyne, 5 miles from Kilkeny, 1500 men in the greate castle, an impregnant peece of worke, under the comaunde of Sir Robert Thalbott. Amonge the rest was one Captain Marcus Geoghegan of Frevenagh, in the barony of Moycashell [Westmeath], with his company, in a petty castle, a kinde of gate hous, thatched with strawe’ (Gilbert 1880, 64). Thomas Stuish’s map of 1681, copied in 1765 by Richard Frizell, indicates the town defences, with a ‘Strong Castle’ and ‘Gate’ at the E end of the town, a ‘South gate’, ‘West gate’ and ‘Midle Gate’, the latter along West Street. It has been suggested that the middle gate refers to ‘Skerry’s Castle’ (KK026-010008-), portion of which still survives, and which traditionally is associated with the castle/gatehouse occupied by Captain Geoghegan (Kennedy 1984, 50). The ‘greate castle’ is possibly the castle at the end of Mill Street, referred to by Stuish as a ‘Strong Castle’. It may be the ‘castle in the east street’ leased to Robert Rothe and Henry Shee in 1595 (Curtis 1970, vol. 6, 3-4, deed 2). According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 293) this castle was, ‘known as Coorthfeerish, or Pierce’s Court, the lower part of which served as one of the entrance gates of the town; some fragments of the walls may still be seen’. Indicated as, ‘Castle in ruins’ on the 1st (1840) ed. OS 6-inch map, it appears to have been levelled subsequently as it is shown as ‘Castle (site of)’ on the 1948 revision. Given the large area enclosed by the medieval town of Callan, it has been suggested that the town was never walled but was defended by a town ditch/fosse, with town gates. Against this it can be argued that Callan appears to have presented a formidable obstacle to advancing Cromwellian forces in 1650, with a battery (KK026-010001-) being set up to bombard the town from a position c. 300m to the S. The initial focus of the attack was the S gatehouse, which was eventually taken following unexpected resistance (Kennedy 1984, 49). According to Kennedy (ibid. 50) further fierce resistance was offered by Captain Geoghegan and his force at the inner/middle gate, which tradition associates with Skerry’s Castle on West St., the West gate having offered no resistance. To explain why Callan offered such a stout resistance, despite enclosing such a large area, Thomas (1992, vol. 2, 31) proposes that the town had an inner walled area. This suggested area being confined to the centre of the town, S of the river, the W side running from Chapel Lane northwards to Skerry’s Castle and N from there to the river, with the E side running from Lower Green/Fair Green Lane northward, along the line of Collins Park and northward to the river (ibid.). While the W side is possible, the E side is less likely, given that that the strong castle where the main garrison were positioned appears to equate with the castle and gatehouse at the E end of town, outside of Thomas’s proposed core. Also by the mid-17th century there may have been another bridge across the river (the ‘New Bridge’ on the 1691 map), probably in line with the lane which runs N from Mill Street and is c. 150m E of the main bridge, and which would have been outside of the suggested line. So perhaps only the E half of the town, extending to Skerry’s Castle, was walled, with a town ditch being considered sufficient defence for the W portion. See attached: KK026-010007-_01 Extract from Down Survey map of Callan, from Manning, C. 1998 The Civil Survey of Inistioge and Callan, Co. Kilkenny, 65, fig. 15 KK026-010007_02 Map of Callan with archaeological monuments highlighted, from Farrelly, J. et al. 1992 The urban archaeological survey County Kilkenny, vol. 2 KK026-010007_03 Map outlining the possible town defences, from Thomas, A. 1993 The walled towns of Ireland Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 22 June 2022

• KK026-010008 Castle - tower house
  Description

  Faintly drawn on an early 19th-century sketch by Robertson as a substantial tower house (Manning 1998, 69, fig. 20). It is indicated on the 25-inch OS map as a roofless rectangular building on the N side of West Street, and is annotated, ‘Castle (in Ruins)’. It is described by Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 293) as, ‘”Skerry’s castle,” now a roofless, but substantial ruin, in West Street’. In the ‘Aphorismical Discovery’, a contemporary account of the Cromwellian campaign in Ireland, describes the taking of Callan, when amongst those defending the town was, ‘one Captain Marcus Geoghegan of Frevenagh, in the barony of Moycashell [Westmeath], with his company, in a petty castle, a kinde of gate hous, thatched with strawe’ (Gibson 1880, vol. 2, 64). According to Carrigan (ibid. 295), ‘Local tradition seems to connect Skerry’s castle, in West Street, with Captain Geoghegan’s memorable stand. It is said to have been reduced by the Cromwellians by scalding to death the soldiers who defended it. Some of the townspeople who took refuge in the lower rooms perished in the same way. This tradition may be confirmed by the fact that in 1830, while the castle was undergoing some alterations, the workmen engaged in levelling the garden to the rere came upon an immense quantity of bones which were estimated to be the remains of over 150 human beings’. This castle could also be the ‘Midle=Gate’ indicated on Thomas Stuish’s map of 1681 (Manning 1998, 63, fig. 13). According to Walsh (1952, 20), ‘Skerry’s Castle’ was also known as, ‘Cook’s Castle’ and he also equates it with the castle defended by Captain Geoghegan. A drawing c. 1813 shows the tops of four tower houses from near St Augustine's Well, the one on the right is ‘Skerry’s Castle’ (1998, 66, fig. 16). It is described in the Civil Survey (1654-6) (ibid. 52) as property 4 on West Street, 'A slated house with a castle, 3 storeys high, length 53 feet, breadth 23. A garden & orchard 20 perch'. The owner is given as, ‘Rich[ard] ffoster Ir[ish] Pa[pist]' with ‘Patt. Vance P[rotestan]t' as the tenant (ibid.). A rectangular tower house (int. dims. c. 12.6m E-W; c. 8m N-S; ext. dims. c. 14.9m E-W; c. 9.7m N-S; wall T E gable 1.1m; W gable 1.2m; S wall 0.85m) constructed on roughly coursed limestone rubble with well-cut quoins. Only the lower portion of the E gable remains upstanding, with the outline of the other walls visible at ground level. The internal ground level has been raised. The E gable survives to first-floor level (H c. 6.5-8m). At ground-floor level there is a splayed embrasure at the N end of the E gable for a small single-light window with external hood-moulding and broken sill. There is a wall-cupboard at the S end of the gable. Between ground and first-floor level there is a horizontal row of crudely inserted joist-holes. At first-floor level there are the remains of a spiral-stair in the NE angle and there is a fireplace S of centre in the gable, the opening of which has been narrowed. The N polished limestone jamb of the fireplace is visible, but the rest of the fireplace and most of the S side of the internal face of the gable is obscured by heavy ivy growth. (Farrelly et al. 1993, 117-18) During an archaeological assessment of a boundary wall (L 15.5m) c. 5m W of Skerry’s Castle, a blocked opening c. 1.5m wide was notes, which was interpreted as, ‘a door or a gateway between the buildings and a boundary wall, perhaps the west wall of a Skerry’s Castle garden’ (Moran 1998; excavation licence no. 98E0280). See attached: KK026-010008-_01 Sketch by Robertson in Manning 1998, 69, fig. 20 KK026-010008-_02 Extract from 1681 map of Callan copied in 1765, from Manning, C. 1998 The Civil Survey of Inistioge and Callan, Co. Kilkenny, 63 KK026-010008-_03 Interior of E gable (Urban Archaeological Survey photograph, December 1992) KK026-010008-_04 External SE angle (Urban Archaeological Survey photograph, December 1992) KK026-010008-_05 Drawing c. 1813 in Manning 1998, 66, fig. 16 Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 9 June 2022

• KK026-010009 Castle - motte and bailey
  Description

  On the flat flood plain c. 50m N of Kings River and N of the town of Callan (KK026-010---) which lies immediately S of the river, in pasture. The sides and much of the top of the motte are overgrown with trees, scrub and brambles. There are good views in all directions. The motte was probably built by William Marshall (died 1219), who is credited with founding the town, probably utilising a natural ridge which was augmented. The construction is likely to have been built under the supervision of one of Marshall’s stewards, possibly Geoffry Fitz Robert, who built the motte at Kells (Clutterbuck et al. 2006, 9). Orpen (1909, 319-20) relates that in 1247, ‘the castle and vill, with appurtenances, went with Kilkenny as part of Isabella Marshal’s share, and were granted to her son Richard de Clare, earl of Gloucester and Hertford’. In an extent of the manor of Callan, taken in 1307, ‘upon the death of Joan, Countess of Gloucester and Hertford, when the jurors found that “there was there a castle in which there was a hall constructed of wood, with wooden shingles, a stone chamber, a kitchen, and other wooden chambers”’ (ibid.). The area around the motte appears to have been utilised for gardening by the 16th century, as illustrated in a 1539 lease in the Ormond Deeds, where the Earl of Ormond grants to ‘Rose Hedyn, widow, and Piers Herforde’s children…two messuages [a house with outbuildings and a parcel of land/yard] …said messuages and a garden by the ‘mothe’ [motte] with 17½ acres of arable land’ (Curtis 1937, vol. 4, 181, deed 225). The conditions of the tenure were typically manorial, including the payment of, ‘two ‘ryppen hokes,’ two ‘wotghe’ hens, and give two men to mind the millpond besides serving said mill in all points as their neighbours do’ (ibid.; Clutterbuck et al. 2006, 11-12). In 1577, ‘Robert Swetman, merchant’, was granted, ‘a garden at the ‘mothe’ (Curtis 1941, vol. 5, 286, deed 292). A substantial steep-sided motte (top dims. 39m NW-SE; 20m NE-SW; basal dims. 66m NW-SE; 48m NE-SW; H 9m above bailey; 12m above flood plain) with a bailey (dims. 56m N-S; c. 70-75m N-S) to the E (Clutterbuck et al. 2006, 12). The castle on top of the motte would have been accessed from the bailey. This slightly lower access point has been utilised over the centuries and has become quite eroded (Clutterbuck et al. 2006, 16). The bailey is defined by a much reduced bank (S bank: Wth at top 3m; overall Wth 10m; int. H 0.8m; ext. H to flood plain 4m; N bank Wth at top 3.7m; overall Wth 16.5m; int. H 0.4m; ext. H 0.75m) which is best preserved towards the W end. The N side can be traced as a flattened rise which begins to turn towards the SE just before the field/townland boundary running roughly N-S E of the motte. The house and outbuilding at the W end of Moat Lane appear to have been built on the flattened E bank of the bailey. Immediately W of the motte, 2m from the base, there is a smaller roughly triangular-shaped mound (dims. c. 30m NNE-SSW; c. 40m WNW-ESE; max. H 2.8m) which falls steeply on the E side and slopes gently to the W down to the flood plain. The top of the mound forms a small level area (dims. 2.3m N-S; 2m E-W). This is part of the natural ridge which remained after the motte was constructed. A geophysical and topographical survey of the motte and bailey and surrounding area was carried out in 2002 (Clutterbuck et al. 2006, 7-28). This revealed several anomalies which appear to correspond to medieval buildings on the motte, including a hall (dims. 17m x c. 18.55m) and within the bailey as well as a possible kiln (Wth c. 7m) (KK026-010085-) and furnace (Wth c. 5m) (KK026-010086-) c. 40-50m N of the bailey (ibid. 16-24). (National Monument No. 372) See attached photographs and illustration: KK026-010009-_01 From SE, from bridge over Kings River to SE KK026-010009-_02 From NE with bailey in foreground KK026-010009-_03 View towards ESE from top of motte, with cattle on bailey at base of motte and looking over to the Augustinian friary (KK026-010016-). KK026-010009-_04 N side of the bailey, from W, with levelled bank of bailey curving towards ESB pole KK026-010009-_05 Raised ground indicating W end of N side of bailey where it runs up to the motte from NE KK026-010009-_06 W end of S side of motte from SE with mound immediately W of motte KK026-010009-_07 Mound immediately W of motte from NW KK026-010009-_08 View of motte and bailey from the tower of St Mary's medieval parish church (KK026-010012-) KK026-010009-_09 Interpretative reconstruction plan of geophysical results and historical sources (Clutterbuck, Elliot and Shanahan 2006, 21, fig. 10) Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 June 2019

• KK026-010012 Church
  Description

  St Mary's medieval parish church is centrally placed within the walled town of Callan (KK026-010----), at the junction of Green Street and Mill Street. The founding of the town is credited to William Marshall (died 1219), who gave the town its first charter in 1217. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 297) Marshall also built the church, which is supported in documentary evidence by references to one Thomas Parson of Callan in charters around 1215. However, Walsh (1963, 14) suggests a slightly later candidate, Hugh de Mapilton, Bishop of St. Canice’s Cathedral in Kilkenny from 1251, as having built the church. Following the Reformation the church became a place of Protestant worship, returning briefly to the Roman Catholics following the Rising of 1641 (Dolan 2000, 105). In 1731 the W end was in need of repair and the following year the N and S chapels are mentioned as needing repair (ibid.). By 1799 the nave of the church was considered a ruin, while the chancel was kept in repair and used as the C of I parish church (ibid.). In 1837 the chancel and the S side chapel were re-reroofed, the masonry of the E gable of the S aisle of the nave being hacked away to carry the new roof across it (ibid.). In 1949 the nave and tower were taken into guardianship by the Commissioners of Public Works and conservation work was carried out between 1949 and 1952 (ibid.). In 1959, following subsidence, the S arcade of the nave was recorded, taken down and rebuilt on a modern concrete foundation (ibid.). By 1974 the chancel was closed for public worship and it was transferred to State care in 1976 (ibid., 108). A roughly coursed limestone rubble nave (int. dims. 20.65m E-W; 20.37m N-S including side aisles, 7.47m central nave) and chancel (int. dims. 18m E-W; 6.1m N-S; S wall T 1.45m) 15th-century church with a 13th-century five-storey tower at the W end. The W tower has a low base-batter around the N, W and S side which terminates at a two-course sandstone string-course which has been largely cut back flush with the masonry of the wall, while the higher base-batter of the nave and chancel terminates at a limestone string-course. On the W face of the tower there is a central break (Wth 1.6m) in the sandstone string-course where a doorway, now blocked-up, had been broken through. The original quoins, most of which on the NW angle are sandstone, are chamfered. In the lower W face of the tower, at first-floor level, there is a two-light trefoil-headed mullion and transomed window with a pointed quatrefoil in the apex above. This window appears to have been assembled using components of other windows from the original 13th-century church, though the long splaying embrasure appears original. The second-floor is lit by two very small loops, in the N and S walls respectively. There is a broken out window in the W face at third-floor level. The top floor with its chamfered flat and pointed windows and the parapet with crow-stepped crenellations are later 15th century additions. Within the interior of the church, the high pointed arch in the E wall of the tower has been blocked up and into it a pointed doorway with chamfered jambs, terminating in a barred broach stop, was inserted at ground level and a later rather crude flat-headed doorway inserted at first-floor level. The large blocked arch has sandstone surrounds, only a small section of which survive, as does the lowest sandstone jamb on either side, with the chamfer terminating in a scroll motif. Above this arch there is a rectangular blocked opening, with voussoirs above. A steep gable line has been cut into the tower and above this are the remains of the coping of an earlier gable. There are two crude loops on the uppermost floor of the E face. According to Walsh (1963, 15) when describing the tower, ‘the lower part of the building was divided in two by a mortar and stone arched ceiling this latter was taken down a year ago [c. 1962], as it was no longer safe; about 15 feet[c. 4.5m] were added to the top of the Tower’. The scar of this stone vault is visible on the N and S face internally as are traces of where the vault cut across the window embrasure in the W wall, indicating that the vault was inserted, probably in the later medieval period. Both the chancel and the nave, with its gable-ended side aisles (Wth 3.8m), are mid- to late 15th-century in date, beginning c. 1460 (Leask 1985, vol. 3, 83). Between the nave and aisles are arcades, each of four pointed arches, resting on piers, square and chamfered on the N and octagonal on the S. The arches have chamfered soffit ribs carried on pointed corbels. The church was entered through opposing doorways in the N and S walls at the W end of the nave. The round-arched N doorway has unusually deep moulded jambs (O’Donovan 2012, 191-3). The hood-moulding around the N doorway is supported by carved angels. Above this is a carving of a woman wearing typical 15th-century ‘double-henim’ head-dress. Leask suggests that this represents the benefactor of the rebuild, probably an Ormond lady (OPW correspondence, 21 May 1948). The round-headed S doorway has angels whose gowns turn into intertwined vines. Internally there are steps down from the S doorway into the interior. There is a broken stoup resting on a pointed corbel of polygonal plan immediately E of both doorways, internally. The windows in the N wall of the aisle consist of two-light ogees, cusped and uncusped, with hollow spandrels within segmental and pointed-segmental-headed embrasures. Those in the opposite S wall are similar, except the embrasures are round-headed and taller, with cut-stone soffits and sloping bases. The traceried windows, in the E and W gables of the aisles and in the E gable of the chancel, display a variety of forms and styles, both cusped and uncusped, the patterns for which appear to be taken from a book of 14th-century architectural styles, with templates copied onto tomb panels and baptismal fonts (O’Donovan 2012, 171-94). The N aisle E window is a three-light window, with cusped tracery ‘of strongly Perpendicular character’ and a hood-moulding consisting of a succession of quadrants and hollow chamfers (ibid., 190-1). The pattern for the flat-headed traceried two-light window at the W end of the N aisle, combining reticulation with supermullions of the Perpendicular style, is to found on the tomb panel at the E end of the S aisle (KK026-010062-) (ibid., 184-5). The S aisle E window consists of a round-headed three-light window with intersecting tracery. The W window of the S aisle consists of a round-headed two-light with flowing tracery, which is identical to the E window of a side chapel in Kilcooley Abbey (TS043-034001-). There is a chapel at the E end of the N aisle, with a stone altar against the E gable, a flat-headed piscina in the S wall with a round bowl, rebated around the top probably for a wooden lid. S of the altar, in the E gable, there is a projecting stone pedestal and N of the altar, against the E gable, there is a small raised stone altar. There was also a chapel at the E end of the S aisle, with a pointed piscina in the S wall. There is a 15th-century tomb (KK026-010062-), probably sculpted by the O’Tunney workshop, in place of the altar. There is a 16th/17th wall monument (KK026-010061-) immediately N of the E window of the S aisle, it was partially built over when the arcading of the S aisle was rebuilt in the 1950s. A moulded corbel, presumably to support a statue, projects out of the S side of the gable. The chancel has been heavily modified internally, the walls have been plastered and decorative heavy strap pointing applied, which does not follow actual masonry lines. At the E end of the S wall there is a pointed piscina niche (opening H 1.07m; Wth 0.63m; D 0.34m) with a moulded surround (D 0.1m), containing a sextagonally fluted bowl. The side stones of the piscina are part of the same reused 13th-century graveslab (KK026-010070-). At the E end of the N wal

• KK026-010013 Font
  Description

  In the SW corner of the chancel of St Mary's medieval parish church (KK026-010012-), Callan. A square limestone font (total H including supports and pedestal 1m; font H 0.37m; Wth 0.84m) with a circular basin and central drain hole. There are nine Gothic flutes on each side and one bevelling at each angle (Pike 1989, 576-7). The font rests on a wide central column, with four slender columns under each angle, all on a square pedestal with chamfered angles. This font is one of a series of similarly decorated fonts, described by Pike as the Ossory Fonts (ibid. 572-82). According to Pike the fonts decorated with rounded flutes are the earliest examples, probably dating from the 12th century, while those decorated with pointed (Gothic) flutes, such as that at Callan, are about a century later in date (ibid. 572-3). See attached photograph: KK026-010013-_01 From E (Urban Archaeological Survey, October 1992) Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 29 June 2022

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Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands on this parcel.

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