Tomb - chest tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

Lying in the northern portion of Killamery graveyard (KK030-008010-), 1.8m NW of the high cross (KK030-008004-). Only the broken upper portion of a badly spalled limestone graveslab (L 0.87m; Wth 0.73m; T 0.1m) survives, the side edge is straight at the top (D 0.04m) and chamfered (D 0.095m) towards the base. It is mentioned by Carrigan (1905, vol. 4, 315) as being ‘a fragment of a sculptured tomb of about the year 1600’. It bears a Latin inscription in Roman capitals within a border margin along the top and upper sinister portion which reads: [HIC J]ACET THOMAS COMOFORT DE... The graveslab formed the upper slab of a chest tomb commemorating Thomas Comerford, c. 1610 (Cockerham 2009, 353). The central decoration consists of a raised three or four-armed cross with trefoil terminals, each connected with a curving line. The upper arm survives completely intact, with only portions of the side arms surviving. The upper surface of the slab has completely broken off beneath the IHS inscription. At the centre of the cross head, where the arms meet, there are the letters IHS. There is a moon with a face in the upper sinister corner and a sun with face in the upper dexter corner.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of revised upload: 8 August 2017

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.