Tomb - effigial

The National Monuments Service's description

Within the grounds of the present St Peter's (Church of Ireland) church, which dates to 1753 (Garner 1986, 10), and on the site of the medieval parish church (LH024-041004-) are the remains of several late medieval tomb fragments. (See also LH024-041093- to LH024-041101-).

The most spectacular of these are the remains of a large tomb chest and mensa. The four side slabs of the tomb bear coats of arms and an incised Latin inscription in Roman lettering. These arms have been identified as those of Sir Edmond Goldyng impaling those of his three wives, Elizabeth Flemyng, Blanche Cruce and Johanne Fynglasse. The fourth coat of arms represents Edmond's son Walter impaling those of his wife, Elizabeth Darcee. The mensa (L 2.6m, Wth 1.5m) has two effigies extending the complete length of the slab. These effigies or 'cadavers' are shown as partially decomposed bodies with the principal bones revealed. The figure on the left represents the male, that on the right the female.The effigies are enclosed in knotted shrouds which billow out to reveal the body. Along the two margins and across the bottom of the slab is an inscription in English and incised blackletter. An additional inscription of poor quality extends down the centre of the slab but this may be secondary. Roe (1969, 15) suggests that the tomb dates to the first quarter of the sixteenth century and places it early in her sequence of cadaver effigial monuments in Ireland, all of which are late medieval to early post-medieval in date.

See the attached images of: _1 the cadavers; _3 an end-panel

The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007