Heritage and Music

All ages event | Partially wheelchair accessible

Marmullane Church will be open for an evening of heritage, music and song. Visitors can join a guided tour of the graveyard, learn about the history of the church and enjoy music performed on the new church organ.

From it’s spot on Church Hill, St Mary’s, Marmullane, overlooks the village of Passage West, famous for its genteel salubrity. When the congregation grew in the 19th century, the small 17th century church was extended before being eventually replaced by today’s building in 1839. The surrounding graveyard also grew.

Captain Roberts, who captained the Sirius on the first Cork-New York sailing done entirely under steam, is buried here. The history of the parishioners reflects the local history of Passage West: the rise and decline of wealthy gentry families, the seafaring exploits of its inhabitants and the shipbuilding trade in the town. The windows and memorial tablets remember men and women who lived in Passage West in the last two centuries.

For Culture Night 2017, the Church will be open for an evening of heritage, music and song. Visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the graveyard, and listen to music performed on the new church organ. This Henry Speechley & Sons instrument began its life in Romsey Methodist Church in Southampton. A generous local donor brought it to Marmullane in 2016. The organist, Roger Ellis, will perform a mix of popular and classical music, and accompany the parish choir.