Hidden Tipperary

On Saturday the 23rd of July 2011, after 6.30 pm mass in the Parish Church in Callan, [Map Ref:] (Latter town close to Tipperary’s border with the village of Mullinahone.) the long lost Trinity Stone will be unveiled to the public at its new location in the porch of that church.

Trinity Stone Callan

Ruin of St Mary's Church Callan.

This Trinity Stone, depicting The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is one of only a dozen extant in all of Ireland.  It was sculptured by Master Sculptor, Rory O’Tunney, (c 1520).

O’Tunney, born into a family of sculptors, originated in Callan, County Kilkenny and was primarily a sculptor of tombs. Among his more prominent works are three tombs in Kilcooly Abbey, Co. Tipperary, the tomb of Sir John Grace and his wife Honora Brenach, at Grace’s Chapel, Tullaroan, Co. Kilkenny, and the tombs of Robert Walsh and his wife, Katherine Poer, at Jerpoint Abbey. For St. Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny, the O’Tunney workshop carved a number of knightly effigies, such as the effigy of James Schorthals (1507); they also carved the double Purcell tomb in St John’s Priory, Kilkenny, and possibly the Archer Tomb in St. Mary’s Graveyard, Thurles, Co.Tipperary.

This Trinity Stone was formerly at St Mary’s Church, Green Street,Callan, but was donated to the present Roman Catholic Church by the Church of Ireland Rector of Callan, Rev. Charles Butler Stevenson, in the early 19th century. (Note: Within the confines of this St Mary’s ruins is buried Adam le Blund, the second husband of Dame Alice Kytler, the fourteenth century Kilkenny native, also the earliest person accused and condemned for witchcraft in Ireland, who escaped to England. Her servant Petronella de Meath, was later flogged and burned at the stake on November 3rd, 1324.)

The Trinity Stone had been forgotten, until its chance recovery in 1974.

After this unveiling, the new “Guide to Callan,” published by Callan Heritage Society, will be launched in the Parish Hall, by John Paul Phelan T.D..
This “Guide” consists of 64 pages of text, photos, sketches and maps and contains articles on the areas people, history and monuments.  The “Guide to Callan” will sell for €4 at this event.

Tea and biscuits will be served at this event, to which all are invited.

The annual Grange/Crag Loop Walk  here in the Slieveardagh Hills, [Map Ref:] in County Tipperary takes place on Sunday next the 17th July 2011.
Starting time for this event is 1.30pm and the start meeting point is Hogan’s Pub, in the village of Grange, where light refreshments will be served.
Directions to this most enjoyable and educational event will be signposted from all the surrounding villages, including Glengoole, NewBirmingham, Ballingarry, Urlingford, Gortnahoe, Ballysloe and all other approach roads along the way.

Directions to Grange

If you are a visitor coming from outside this area, from the town of Urlingford on the N8, take the R690 in the direction of Mullinahone. After 2km, stay on the R690 as the road splits – the R689 goes to Killenaule. Continue for almost 5km with the impressive stone wall of Kilcooly Abbey to your left, to a junction where you turn left (Following the natural wall line.) off the main road and after 2km you will enter the village of Grange. The trail-head is located opposite Hogan’s Bar.

Any queries regarding this event please direct to :- Tel: 052-9156165  or Tel: 085-1169650.

Welcome to HiddenTipperary.com a brand new website set up to reveal some of the many hidden treasures that can be found in this great and historic county of Tipperary. [Map Ref.]

On this website we hope to include as many of these great locations as we can. Some of these locations may be well known to many people such as the historic Holycross Abbey, the famous Rock of Cashel [Map Ref.] and others. However, there are just as many undiscovered locations that may be little known to our many visitors to the county, and sometimes even to the people living in Tipperary itself!

There are so many great historic myths and legends to share, historic places to visit and fantastic scenic views in Tipperary. In fact, there are so many undiscovered and beautiful locations that we had to set up this website to share with rest of the world.