Tomb - chest tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

At St Mary's parish church (KK019-026115-) in Kilkenny. Cover slab, mensa for chest tomb or ledger recorded by Carrigan near the N wall of the (present) chancel but current whereabouts unknown (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 92-3; Cockerham and Harris 2001, 184; Ó Drisceoil et al 2005, vol. 2, KKSTMG405). The slab commemorates Nicholas Garvey c. 1580 and was described by Carrigan as follows: 'a limestone slab set in the floor; one edge with the inscription has been chiselled away; down the centre is a raised eight pointed cross floree, with graduated base. What now remains of the inscription is:
[HIC JACET DNS NI]COLAUS GARVEUS BURGE[N]S’ QUO[N]D{AM] KILKENIE,
VIR MATUR’ ACCIU[M] MAGR. ET UTRIUSQ. IURIS BACCA[LAURIUS]
ECCLIASTICA OFFICIALIS MUNERE SIMUL IN DUBLIN ET OSS’ EPI. FUNGENS QUARUM
REGNI CANCELLARIA REGION’ MAGISTRATUS PRESIDE..MONUMENTU'
The epitaph seems to commemorate two distinct persons. Nicholas Garvey is evidently the Nicholas Garvey of Kilkenny, burgess, pardoned July 7th 1574. The other individual commemorated here can be no other than ‘Robert Garvie of Kilkenny, professed in the civil law’’ (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 92-3).

Compiled by: Cóilín Ó Drisceoil

Date of upload: 4 January 2023

References

Ó Drisceoil, C., Devine, E., Kenny, P., Donoghue, F. 2005 The burial monuments of St. Mary's Church, Kilkenny, an inventory, 10 vols. Unpublished report by Kilkenny Archaeology for the Heritage Council.

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. and Harris, L. 2001 Kilkenny funeral monuments 1500-1600: a statistical and analytical account. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 101C, 135-88.