Callan heritage trail records the town’s past

ABOVE: MEP Seán Kelly, Josephine O’Neill of Callan Macra, Joe Kennedy of Callan Heritage Society and Cllr Joe Lyons

The deep heritage of a Kilkenny town is being presented in a newly-launched heritage trail.
Callan Heritage Trail was officially launched in the grounds of St Mary’s Abbey, Green Street, last week.

In recent weeks information signs and finger-post directional signs have been erected around the town and it has already been catching the eye of locals and visitors.

There are 10 points of interest along the trail, starting at the Fair Green and including the workhouse, the town well, fever hospital, Macra Hall, Augustinian Abbey and Friary, Edmund Rice Statue, the Moat Field and Skerries Castle.

Cherryfield Famine Graveyard and the homestead of Edmund Ignatius Rice are also signposted.
In future it is hoped to link to Kells, along the Kings River.
Some points of interest were consolidated on information boards to prevent clutter on footpaths.

Kilkenny County Council was supported by Callan Macra and Callan Heritage Society in the project, brought to the council by Cllr Joe Lyons.
Cllr Lyons was joined by both organisations and MEP Seán Kelly, for the official launch of the heritage trail.

Speaking at the launch, Cllr Lyons said everyone who was born in Callan, and those that have moved there, are very proud of their town.
The trail, he said, not only records the town’s past but is great for its future.

An investment of €45,000, funded by Kilkenny Leader Partnership and Kilkenny County Council, work was carried out by Abarta Heritage, on the information signs, and SignaTech.
Josephine O’Neill, of Callan Macra, described it as a “worthwhile project.”

MEP Kelly ws delighted to be in Callan, the place where the very first game of gaelic football was played under GAA rules.
He said the heritage trail did a great service to those who went before us. “You have a huge history here that is worth recording,” he said

The idea of the trail is something other towns will want to copy, he added.
He praised the well preserved, beautiful setting of St Mary’s Abbey.