Tomb - chest tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

At St Mary's parish church (KK019-026115-) in Kilkenny. A side panel of the early 17th-century chest tomb of William Murphy (d. 1622) and Joanna Dunphy (Carrigan 1905, Vol. 3, 94; Cockerham 2009, 356). Before it was moved to its present location in 2015 at W end of nave, it was set into the W wall of the S transept and only partially visible (Carrigan 1905, Vol. 3, 94).
Comprises the corner panel (0.6m L x 0.4m Wth x 0.34m T) of a chest tomb built of fossiliferous limestone. It is decorated on two sides. The side-panel shows the inscription and the end-panel a cartouche. Both are framed by a raised bevelled border. The side-panel is inscribed in false relief Latin blackletter:
INSIGNIA. WILLIELMI. MURPHY. CIVIS KILKENIAE ET UXORU[M] EIUS
JOHANNAE DONFY ET MARGARETAE MURPHY. LEX. LUX. CRUX. DUX.
Translation: Distinguished. William Murphy of the city of Kilkenny and his wife Joanna Dunphy and Margaret Murphy.
The end-panel bears the coats of arms of Murphy and Dunphy which is flanked on the right by the initials W (at top) and J (at base) and on the left by the initials M (top), M (middle) and D (base) signifying William Murphy, Margaret Murphy and Joanna Dunphy.

Compiled by: Cóilín Ó Drisceoil

Date of upload: 9 January 2023

References

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.

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