Tomb - effigial

The National Monuments Service's description

Fixed N of centre to the internal face of the E gable of a 19th-century C of I church which was built on the former chancel of the 13th-century church of St Mary’s (KK020-060006-) in Gowran. A limestone effigial tomb lid (L 2.02m; Wth 0.64m; T 0.14m) carved with a female figure in flat relief. The dexter side is carved with a double fillet roll-moulding while the sinister side is crudely dressed. The base of the slab, across the feet of the figure, is broken but has been repaired.
This is described by Hunt (1974, vol. 1, 168) as possibly the effigy of Eleanor de Bohun, c. 1338-1344 who was the niece of King Edward II. Hunt suggests that the tomb was carved while she was married to James Butler, whose possible effigy (KK020-060064-) is also within the church. Following James’ death she remarried and died at Shere in England in 1363 (ibid.). The effigy could also represent Joan, wife of Edmund, the first Earl of Carrick and, though less likely, this would date the tomb to c. 1320 (ibid.).
Hunt describes the figure as wearing a long robe, ‘the left hand holds the mantle cord on the breast. She wears a crown-like head-dress, a variant of the pill-box, with a barbe and two circular bosses, one on each side – perhaps nets for the hair over the ears. There is a dragonesque animal beneath her feet. Her head lies on a double rectangular cushion’ (ibid.).

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 14 August 2019

References

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