One of the most beautiful and historic places of worship in this country, St Mary’s Collegiate Church in Youghal, is about to be taken into public ownership by the local Town Council. Although it was founded in the early 13th century by the FitzGeralds, later earls of Desmond, Sir Walter Raleigh worshipped there after the Reformation, as did Oliver Cromwell who wintered in Youghal in 1649/50. But the man whose name is indelibly associated with St Mary’s is Richard Boyle, first Earl of Cork, for the simple reason that his huge funerary monument still dominates the south transept of the church. David Kelly outlines the history of this remarkable building, the preservation of which has now been secured
The early 13th-century St Mary’s Collegiate Church is tucked into the northwest corner of the medieval town of Youghal surrounded by a unique concentration of historic buildings and sites (Fig 1). It is enclosed by medieval town walls and is flanked on its south by the college and grounds with which its collegiate name has been associated since the 15th century, and which later became the residence of Richard Boyle, first Earl of Cork. On its northern side is the 16th-century house and gardens which became for a period the residence of Walter Raleigh in Youghal (Fig 3). The site is elevated in relation to the original medieval town centre and was most likely chosen because of its association with an earlier church. In addition the site could accommodate a large church and a substantial churchyard for burials. The church is built in the traditional way with an east/west axis and close to the northern boundary, since no self-respecting medieval Christian would be buried on the north side of the church
