Graveslab

The National Monuments Service's description

15th century graveslab of Cornelius O'Dea in St. Mary's Cathedral (LI005-017015-) described in the Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 317-8) as following; ‘Cornelius O’Dea. 1434 (restored 1621). An undecorated limestone slab which is said to have held the recumbent effigy of O’Dea is on the south side of the choir and a seventeenth century inscription is on the front panel:

HAEC EST EFFIGIES REVEREDISSIMI VIRI CORNELII O’DAE/
QUONDAM EPISCOPI LYMERICENSIS QVI AD MONVMENTVM/ HOC
NOVVM EPISCOPORVM LYMERICENSIVM AD/ PERPETVANDVM
MEMORIAM ET HONOREM TANTI PRAESVLIS/ TRANSLATVS FVIT VT
HIS CVM FRATRIBVS SVIS REQVIESCERET/ 14 DIE IVLII ANO
DOMINI 1621 REMOTVS AVTEM HVC FVIT/ SVMPTIBVS
NOBILISSIMI HEROIS DONATH COMITIS THOMONIAE/ TVNC
HONORATISSIMI DOMINI PRAESIDENTIS PROVINCIAE MOMONAE

Described by FitzGerald (1910, 125-6) as following; 'On the opposite side of the choir is a plain, limestone monument resembling an altar- tomb, which is said to have borne the robed and mitred effigy of a bishop, but of which not a trace now exists. Cornelius O'Dea was Bishop of Limerick from 1400 to 1426. On the front of the tomb is cut the above inscription. Translation from the Rev. J. Dowd's History of the Cathedral, "This is the effigy of that most reverend man, Cornelius O'Dea, formerly Bishop of Limerick, who, to perpetuate the memory and honour of so great a prelate, was transferred to this new burial place of the Bishops of Limerick, that here he might rest with his brethren, on the 14th day of July, 1621. But his body was removed hither at the charge of that most noble hero Donat, Earl of Thomond, then the Most Honourable Lord President of the Province of Munster'.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 15 November 2019

References

Talbot, M. J. 1976 The monuments of St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick. Limerick.

FitzGerald, Lord W. 1910 St Mary’s Cathedral. Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland 7, 124-36.

Bradley, J., Halpin, A., and King, H.A. 1989 Urban archaeological survey - county Limerick (3 vols.). Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.