You’re looking for a tall, grey stone church with a chunky square tower and pointed turrets-just follow the spire rising above the old stone walls to spot St. Mary’s right in front of you!
Welcome to St. Mary’s Church, where stories linger like shadows in the cool Kilkenny air. Imagine yourself whisked back to 1202, when Norman lords and merchants first built this grand church close to the castle. Back then, this would have been the proud beating heart of High Town, with market stalls outside and townsfolk bustling around-except, perhaps, those sneaking a biscuit during church!
Picture the merchants every year, counting out their fourpence and halfpennies-the ‘price of admission’ to local heaven! The richer you were, the closer you could nap forever right inside the church. The Shee, Archer, and Rothe families-names that sound like they’d be great card players-all made this place their eternal home. Sometimes the council would hold meetings here too. Imagine the arguments echoing where people now browse museum displays-“We need more sheep in the square!” “No, fewer sheep, and more plays!” Yes, dramatic town plays took center stage here long before Netflix marathons.
Over centuries, St. Mary’s swapped teams like a sports star during transfer season. It swung from Catholic to Protestant, back to Catholic, and, for a while, hosted High Mass with Archbishop Rinuccini during Kilkenny’s Confederation days. Even the bell-tower played musical chairs, starting as its own building and later marked only by a concrete patch in the churchyard.
By 1957, the last prayer was said, and badminton rackets took over-yes, really! Even the Free Masons had a turn. It’s practically the most flexible building in Kilkenny. Come 2017, St. Mary’s got itself a new gig-as the Medieval Mile Museum. And when they prepared for the big museum re-launch, they found four mysterious female skeletons hiding in the gateway-don’t worry, a few of them are on display, just in case you want to say hello!
The spire you see today was even used as Kilkenny’s top surveying spot, meaning it literally put the city on the map. So if you ever get lost in Kilkenny, just blame the guy who measured from this very church-and maybe sneak a quick prayer for directions. Now, onward to the next chapter of our adventure!
