St. Mary’s Church is a dramatic ruin located on the main street of Delvin and is one of the most distinctive historic buildings in the village.

The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage describes it as a former Church of Ireland church, rebuilt around 1810 while incorporating parts of a much earlier medieval church building dating from around 1550. The most striking feature is the two-stage fortified belfry tower, which is thought to date from the sixteenth century. The later building includes an early nineteenth-century Board of First Fruits church and a nineteenth-century transept added around 1860.

The fortified nature of the medieval tower has led to the suggestion that it may originally have had a defensive purpose, possibly serving as a watchtower as well as a place of worship. Its thick walls and narrow openings give a good impression of the building’s defensive character. Over the centuries the building was altered several times, and both neo-classical and Gothic influences can be seen in the surviving architecture.

The church remained in use until the 1970s, when the roof was removed and the building was left to the elements. Despite its ruinous condition, much of the original fabric remains, making it possible to see the different stages in the building’s history.

The churchyard surrounding St. Mary’s contains a fascinating collection of old headstones and memorials, many of which bear inscriptions relating to families who lived in and around Delvin over the centuries. The overgrown nature of the graveyard adds to the atmosphere of the site, although it can make some of the inscriptions difficult to read.

St. Mary’s is a particularly atmospheric part of Delvin’s built heritage and attracts visitors throughout the year, many of whom come to photograph the ruins and explore the churchyard.

Access to Grounds

Access to the church grounds is entirely at your own risk. A key to the grounds can be obtained from Leavy’s Shop.