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07 Sept 2025
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07 Sept 2025
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St Mary's Church of Ireland Ballyboy, after its conservation work.
THE historic St Mary's Church of Ireland Church in Ballyboy was one of three important heritage sites in Offaly to receive improvement works during 2023, Anna Marie Delaney told the Councillors in her recent monthly report to Offaly County Council.
The Chief Executive of Offaly County Council said the money for the projects came from the Historic Structures Fund. She said the three projects had been approved by the governmental Department and had been completed.
They included Kinnitty Castle window repairs (€37,500); Birr Suspension Bridge repairs (€135,750), and St Mary's Church of Ireland Ballyboy, structural repairs – (€37,500). Total for 2023 €210,750.
Rachel McKenna, Senior Executive Architect with Offaly County Council, told the Midland Tribune that in the case of St Mary’s Ballyboy the works included “repairs to cracking in the structure by using helical stitch bars (the damage had been caused by lightning), clearing the interior and vegetation control.
“The conservators stitched two full-height cracks and filled in with lime mortar. They cleared and removed the substantial vegetation buildup from the interior of the site, revealing the tiled central aisle and altar, and the membrane and chippings of the surrounding ground internally.”
She said the Consultants were Southgate and Associates, and the Contractor was B+D Rainey Ltd.
The Ballyboy church was built in 1815. Its pitched roof has long been removed and it's been out of use for many years. According to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage “this pinnacle-towered church is purportedly built on the former location of an earlier ecclesiastical site. Its simple and typical Board of First Fruits form is enlivened by limestone dressings, particularly to the tower. The setting is enhanced by the range of grave markers and notable entrance gates.”
The Board of First Fruits was an institution of the Church of Ireland that was established in 1711 by Queen Anne to build and improve churches and glebe houses in Ireland.
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