Wall monument

The National Monuments Service's description

Within the chancel of Coolcraheen church (KK010-060001-) (Shanganny). A composite wall monument consisting of a mural tablet with an elegy in Latin formerly on the wall over a chest tomb (Cockerham 2009, 357). The chest tomb is in several pieces with a Latin inscription in Roman capitals on the covering slab commemorating Robnetus Purcell of Foulksrath (d. 1635) and his wife Ellenora Purcell. The tomb is dated 1629. One end panel bears the family coat of arms while the other has effigies of the Virgin and Child and possibly St. Elizabeth. The front panel has emblems of the Passion and a carving of the Crucifixion.
Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 195-6) describes it as, 'the broken coverng-slab of an altar tomb, with a raised cross down the centre. It is 5 in. thick, and, when perfect, was 6 ft. 9 in. long and 2 ft. 11 in. wide. What remains of the inscription, which is in raised Roman capitals, and runs in four parallel lines under the left arm of the cross, is: "HIC. IACET. ROBNETVS. PVRCELL....VKS_ RATH. GENEROSVS....FIRI. FECIT. QVI. ETIA.....ET. EIVS. VXOR. ELLENOR.....CELL." The scuptor mismanaged this inscription, evidently misplacing some of the words. The inscription, when entire, should have read as follows: Hic jacent Robnetus Purcell de Fouksrath generosus qui etiam me fieri fecit; et ejus uxor Ellenora Purcell. Other portions of this tomb, which must have been an expensive one, lie around, viz.: (1). An end panel with the family coat of arms, viz.: a plain chevron (tincture not supplied) between three boars' heads, couped; three mullets are placed above the chevron, probably for difference; crest, on a helmet, a boar; motto "SPEAS. MEA. IN. DEO. EST." (2) The other end panel showing effigies of the Virgin and Child and (probably) St. Elizabeth. (3) The front panel with carvings of the emblems of the Passion. Being too short to extend along the full front, this slab was supplemented at one end by another with a carving of the Crucifixion. (4) A mural slab 3 ft. 9 in. by 2 ft., formerly fixed in the wall over the monument, and bearing the following elegy in raised Roman capitals: "O HOMINES. HOMINES. QVID. MVLTOS. QVAERITIS. AGROS. LOCA. QVIBUS. SEPTEM. SUEFICIT (sic for SUFFICIT). VRNA. PEDES. MAIOR. NOSTRA. SOLO. QVOVIS. ME[N]S. SCA[N]DIT. OLYMPVM. ILLA. TAMEN. CORPVS. CONTINET. VRNA. MEV[M]. DANTE. DEO. FINES. MEA. ME[N]S. SVPEREMI[N]ET. VRNAE. ALTIOR. EST. HVIVS. SORS. MEA. SORTE. LOCI. PORCI. SI. GENERIS. CVR. SVNT. INSIGNIA. NOSTRI. SCIRE. VIATOR. AVES. GALLICA. SCRIPTA. LEGE. 1629."'.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of revised upload: 17 December 2018

References

Carrigan, Rev. W. 1905 (Reprint 1981) The history and antiquities of the diocese of Ossory, 4 vols. Kilkenny. Roberts Books and Wellbrook Press.

Cockerham, P. 2009 My body to be buried in my owne monument: the social and religious context of Co. Kilkenny funeral monuments, 1600-1700. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 109C, 239-365.