Memorial stone

The National Monuments Service's description

16th century memorial in the N transept of St. Mary's Cathedral (LI005-017015-) described in the Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 318-9) as following; ‘John Fox. 1519. A mural slab in the north transept, set into a round arched niche, with Gothic lettered inscription:

HIC IACET REV ... DUS IOHES FFOX/ QUODA POS SCE CRUCIS Q DIE
CLAUSIT/ EXTREMU XXVIII DIE MESIS AUGUSTI/ AN DNI M V XIX CUI
AIE PPICIET DEUS'

Described by Fitzgerald (1910, 127-8) as following; 'To the right of the last-named monument, and in similar lettering, is a mural slab, which Mr. Dowd states belongs "to a Prior of the Augustinians, whose establishment was also called Holy Cross." The date he incorrectly gives as 1519, whereas it should have been read 1531. With the exception of one word, the inscription is very legible. Can it be that the "dus" at the end of the illegible word is a "dns" or " Dominus," a common Latin title with ecclesiastics? The translation of the inscription would then be —

Here lies the Reverend (?) lord John Fox, formerly
Prior (?) of Holy Cross, who closed his last day (i.e. died)
on the 28th day of the month of August, in the year of
Our Lord 1531 ; on whose soul may God have mercy.'

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 15 November 2019

References

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 Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

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.