Tomb - effigial

The National Monuments Service's description

17th century effigial tomb in N side of the chancel of St. Mary's Cathedral (LI005-017015-) described in the Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 320-1) as following; ‘Thomond monument. 1624 (restored 1678) Large wall memorial set in an arch on the north side of the chancel. It consists of three tiers with reclining effigies of Donough O’Brien, 4th earl of Thomond, in the lower tier and his wife, Elizabeth FitzGerald, above. Incised inscription on a slab at the back of the third tier:

THIS MONVENT BEING DEFACED IN YE TIME OF YE LATE REBEL/
LION OF IRELAND WAS BY HENRY YE SECOND [sic, ?seventh]
EARLE OF THOMOND/ OF ANEVE REEDIFYED AN 1678 IN MEMORY
OF HIS MOST NOBLE/ GRANDFATHER DONAGH O’BRIEN EARLE OF
THOMOND, BARON/ OF IBREACAN, PRESIDENT OF MVNSTER, & ONE
OF HIS MAIS PRI/ VY COVNCIL, WHO HAVING DERIVED HIS
TITLES FROM AN AN-/ CIENT & HONOVRABLE FAMILY SOMETIME
FOVNDERS OF THIS/ CHVRCH LEFT THEM TO POSTERITY MORE
ENNOBLED BY HIS OWN/ VERTVE FOR GIVING EQVALL PROOFES
BOTH FOR COVRAGE &/ CONDVCT OF HIS LOYALTY & WORTH HE
WAS REWARDED BY YE/ HIGH & MIGHTY MONARCHS QVEEN
ELIZABETH & KING/ IAMES WITH HONOVRS ABOWE YE NOBILITY OF HIS TIME

The monument is flanked by ionic columns in its lower register with Corinthian columns above. It is surmounted by obelisks and, in the centre, the sculpted arms of the O’Brien's still retaining its colours and gilding. Projecting from the monument on a rod is a coroneted helmet with a barred visor. (FitzGerald 1910, 124-5; Talbot 1976, 83).

Described by FitzGerald 91910, 124-5) as following; 'On the north side of the choir is a very large monument in black and white marble, erected by the O'Brien's, Earls of Thomond. It is somewhat similar in style to the Cork and Ranelagh monuments in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, and, like them, dates from the first half of the seventeenth century. On the base of the monument reclines Donough O'Brien, Earl of Thomond, who died on the 5th September, 1624; and on a tier above him reclines his wife, the Lady Elizabeth FitzGerald, second daughter of Gerald, 11th Earl of Kildare. Both the effigies are much broken. They are carved in sandstone in the elaborate costume of Elizabeth's time.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 18 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.