Tomb - effigial

The National Monuments Service's description

At St Mary's parish church (KK019-026115-) in Kilkenny. A late 13th-early 14th century effigy of a woman, Helen, wife of William de Armayl (L 1.96m; Wth 0.59m; T 0.13m), made from fossiliferous limestone. It was noted by Prim in c. 1865 (Prim 1865, 305), apparently in situ on the medieval ground level, though broken in three pieces at the S side of the S transept. Positioned until 1980s near the E wall of the (medieval) chancel (Carrigan 1905, vol.3, 98). Broken in three pieces. Hunt describes it as, ‘The figure is much worn, and while the head is in high relief and resting on a cushion, the body was schematically treated in a flatter technique. The right hand originally held the mantle string on the breast and the left hand a fold of the mantle at the side. The long pendant end of the girdle hangs down the front almost to the feet. On the head is a pill-box head-dress with barbette beneath the chin, the hair in two projecting sidenets’ (Hunt 1974, vol.1, 196). Hunt dates it to late 13th/early 14th century (Hunt 1974, vol.1, 196). A Norman-French inscription in Lombardic lettering is incised on the right and base chamfers. It reads:
+ HELEN LA FEMME
WILLIAM DE ARMAYL
GIT ICI
DEU DE SA ALME
EIT MER.
Translation:
Helen the wife of William of Armayl lies here God have mercy on her soul.
The Effigy was set into the floor of the Monuments Room in the 1960s and was moved to its present location in the S transept in 2015.

Compiled by: Cóilín Ó Drisceoil

Date of upload: 21 November 2022

References

Hunt, J. 1974 Irish medieval figure sculpture 1200-1600, 2 vols. Dublin. Irish University Press.

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

Prim, J.G.A. 1865 Proceedings. Journal of the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society, 5 (2), 291-306