Page 36 - GAHS Journal Volume 9

COUNTY WICKLOW'S 'HIDDEN' HERITAGE PARK

We met in Calary Church, which was built in 1834 to serve
the Church of Ireland people of the area. The parish boundaries
were carved out of four surrounding parishes, i.e. Delgany,
Derralossery, Powerscourt and Newcastle. Within the church
there was an opportunity to point out some famous people
associated with the parish. Calary has two pulpits. The one
situated at the back of the church is Darby’s pulpit. Rev John
Nelson Darby (1800-1882) of Leap Castle, Co Laois, was
educated at Westminster
School and TCD, graduating
as a Classical Medallist. He
was ordained deacon in
Raphoe and priested in Christ
Church Cathedral, Dublin. He
was appointed as curate of
Calary in 1826. Before the
present church was built,
services were held in the
school on the long hill. The
pulpit which had been used by
Darby was moved to the
newly-built church in 1834.
Darby resigned from the
Church of Ireland in 1827, and
joined a sect called the
‘Brethren’. A quarrel within
this body led to a local schism
at Plymouth in 1845. Darby
became the leader of the stricter Brethren, who were organised
as a separate body known as the Darbyites. Recently three
coaches of Chinese came to visit Darby’s church.

Dr Cecil King and his wife are both buried in Calary. Cecil
King was chairman of the English National Coal Board, and also

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