Cullen: Churches, Musical Traditions and Laterian Rounds

Cullen brings together the history of its churches, music and graveyard with local traditions. If you’re looking for a hotel for a stay in Cullen, these themes offer a concrete way to explore the town according to your interests.

Churches and Graveyard in Cullen

The old church in Cullen, dedicated to St James, was built by Fr Fitzpatrick in 1847. It replaced a thatched church in the graveyard, which had been burned down by Cromwell’s soldiers long before. The present-day Gothic church was built by Canon O'Sullivan in 1907. This means the replacement of the older place of worship and the later Gothic building can be understood as two separate construction projects.

Old Cullen Graveyard is in the townland of Mullaghroe and is divided into an older section with graves and a later section with more modern headstones. This division adds another perspective on Cullen’s past to the church chronology: the church records concern building phases, while the graveyard can be divided into two distinct sections.

Music and Traditional Customs

The Cullen Pipe Band was founded in 1941; its history includes performances at Feis Laitiaran. Separately, Cullen lies on the edge of the Sliabh Luachra area, which is known for its rich musical tradition. The musical connection therefore spans the history of a specific band and the regional tradition of the area.

Historically, the Laterian Rounds were held at Old Cullen Graveyard on 25 July. So-called “Rounds” on 25 July are also recorded at St. Laitiaran’s Well in the village, near the old graveyard. If you’d like to plan your trip around this tradition, check in advance whether the Rounds are currently taking place.

Local traditions also include the story that St Laterian cursed a blacksmith, and that there have been no blacksmiths in Cullen ever since. This adds a local folklore tradition to the religious and musical themes.

Getting Around and Sport

Cullen is just off the N72 and is said to be equidistant from Mallow and Killarney. These are two different points of reference for locating the town: its position off the road and its distance in relation to the two places named. The handball court in Cullen is on the site of the former St. James R.C. Church. The 60 × 30 handball court is considered the only one of its kind in County Cork.

Cork as a Wider Travel Destination

The wider destination of Cork offers other cultural and landscape attractions. Barryscourt Castle was built between 1392 and 1420 as an Irish tower house. Charles Fort was constructed between 1677 and 1682 to protect the town and harbour of Kinsale; its walls and ramparts offer views across the harbour. At Fota, the arboretum covers 11 hectares and is home to rare, tender trees and shrubs that grow outdoors. Fota’s gardens include an ornamental lake, formal pleasure gardens, an orangery and a sun temple. These regional examples complement the picture of Cullen’s own history of churches, music and its graveyard with themes of castles and gardens.

Discover more destinations: Upper Aghada, Ringaskiddy, Glanmire, Skahanagh More, Rosscarbery, Cork, Minane Bridge, Monkstown.

Back to the wider travel overview: Cork.