Callan
Encyclopedia
People
- Edmund Ignatius RiceEdmund Ignatius RiceBlessed Edmund Ignatius Rice , was a Roman Catholic missionary and educationalist. Edmund was the founder of two orders of religious brothers: the Congregation of Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers....
, founder of the Irish Christian Brothers and the Presentation BrothersPresentation BrothersThe Congregation of Presentation Brothers is an international Catholic congregation of laymen founded in 1802 in Waterford, Ireland, by a local businessman, Edmund Ignatius Rice, now Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice.... - Callan also has links with Asa Griggs CandlerAsa Griggs CandlerAsa Griggs Candler was an American business tycoon who made his fortune selling Coca-Cola. He also served as the 44th Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia from 1916 to 1919...
's family and the Coca-ColaCoca-ColaCoca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
company. - Perhaps its most famous inhabitant was Amhlaoibh Ó SúilleabháinAmhlaoibh Ó SúilleabháinAmhlaoibh Ó Súilleabháin was an Irish language author, linen draper, politician, and one time hedge school master. He is also known as Humphrey O'Sullivan....
(1780–1838), who was a schoolmaster and linen-draper in the town, and kept a diary in the Irish languageIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
between 1827 and 1835. This recorded in great detail the life of the town, which he named Callain an Chlampair or "Callan of the Ructions". At the time the town was notorious for its extreme poverty. Amhlaoibh's diary is considered one of the most detailed contemporary accounts of life in Ireland at the time from a native perspective. - John LockeJohn Locke (poet)John Locke was an Irish writer and Fenian activist, exiled to the United States, and most famous for writing "Dawn on the Irish Coast", also known as "The Exiles Return, or Morning on the Irish coast".-Early life:...
, Ireland's Poet in Exile, was born here in 1847. He was the author of many well known poems, including The Calm Avonree and Dawn on the Irish Coast, also referred to as the Emigrants Anthem and for which he is probably best remembered. - Tony O'MalleyTony O'MalleyTony O'Malley was a self-taught Irish painter. He was born in Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland and, while he drew and painted for private pleasure from childhood, he worked as a bank officìal until a long battle with tuberculosis in the 1940s knocked him off the normal course of his life...
, Irish painter - James HobanJames HobanJames Hoban was an Irish architect, best known for designing The White House in Washington, D.C.-Life:James Hoban was born and raised in a thatched cottage on the Earl of Desart's estate in Cuffesgrange, near Callan in Co. Kilkenny...
who designed The White House and Leinster HouseLeinster HouseLeinster House is the name of the building housing the Oireachtas, the national parliament of Ireland.Leinster House was originally the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, which house Oireachtas Éireann, its...
among others was born in Desart, near Callan. - Thomas KilroyThomas KilroyThomas F. Kilroy is an Irish playwright and novelist.He was born in Green Street, Callan, County Kilkenny and studied at University College, Dublin. In his early career he was play editor at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin...
Irish playwright and novelist. Author of historical novel The Big Chapel.
Recent developments
Neil Jordan's film "Breakfast on PlutoBreakfast on Pluto (film)
Breakfast on Pluto is a 2005 comedy-drama film directed by Neil Jordan and based on the novel of the same name by Patrick McCabe, as adapted by Jordan and McCabe...
" with Cillian Murphy and Liam Neeson was filmed in Callan during August–September 2005. During the two weeks of filming in Callan, the main streets of the town were transformed for use in the film.
In 2007, Callan celebrated its 800th Year. President Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
launched the 800th Celebrations of the town being granted a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
. Full details of the celebrations can be found at Callan 800th website.
Places of interest
- The Moat, located at the top of Moat Lane just off Bridge Street, The Moat as it is locally known is one of Ireland's best preserved Motte-and-baileyMotte-and-baileyA motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
's. - Saint Marys, located on Green Street.
- The Workhouse, located in Prologue, Callan
- Callan Augustinian FriaryCallan Augustinian FriaryThe Callan Augustinian Friary is an Augustinian friary situated in Callan, Co Kilkenny, Ireland.It is known locally as the "Abbey Meadow" and is located to the north-east of the town, on the banks of the Kings River...
, known locally as the "Abbey Meadow" can be found at the North East end of Callan and can be accessed via Bridge Street.
Education
Callan had two primary schools, Scoil Mhuire and Scoil Iognaid Rís. the two schools amalgamated in 2007 to form Bunscoil McAuley Rice.Callan also has two secondary schools; the boys' school, Coláiste Éamann Rís
Coláiste Éamann Rís
Coláiste Éamann Rís is a Christian Brothers secondary school for boys located in Callan, County Kilkenny, in the South-East of Ireland....
, well known for hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
, and the girls' school, St. Brigid's College.
Callan Local Electoral Area
The Callan Local Electoral Area of County Kilkenny includes the electoral divisionsDistrict Electoral Division
A district electoral division is a former name given to a low-level territorial division in Ireland. In 1994, both district electoral divisions and wards were renamed as electoral divisions...
of Aghaviller, Ballinamara, Ballybeagh, Ballycallan, Boolyglass, Burnchurch, Callan Rural, Callan Urban, Coolaghmore, Danesfort, Dunamaggan, Earlstown, Ennisnag, Grange, Kells, Killamery, Kilmaganny, Kilmanagh, Knocktopher, Mallardstown, Outrath, Scotsborough, Stonyford, Tullaghanbrogue, Tullahought and Tullaroan.
See also
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Kilkenny)
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- Market Houses in IrelandMarket Houses in the Republic of IrelandMarket houses are a notable feature of many Irish towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making for a most interesting feature of the streetscape. Originally there were three, four or even five bays on the ground floor which were an open arcade. An upper floor was...