Wall monument

The National Monuments Service's description

Set in the N wall in the chancel of Clare Island Abbey (MA085-013001-).
This armorial plaque bears the coat of arms of the O'Malley family. It consists of a rectangular limestone slab which is set in a moulded frame (H 1.1m; Wth 0.79m) formed of four narrow limestone pieces. The O’Malley arms, carved in shallow relief, fill almost the entire face of the slab. The main heraldic motifs are a boar, a ship, and longbows charged with arrows, and the crest is a horse in full gallop. Carved beneath the arms are the family motto ‘Terra marique potens’ [powerful on land and sea] and name ‘O Maille’.
Gillespie and Ó Comáin (2005, 41-44) record the plaque in detail and assess its heraldic significance: the boar may allude to Irish sovereignty myths, and the ship is a symbol of the family’s maritime power. They suggest a late 17th century date for the plaque.

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 1 August 2018

References

Manning, C. Gosling, P. and Waddell, J. (eds.) 2005 New Survey of Clare Island. Volume 4: The Abbey. Dublin, Royal Irish Academy.

Gillespie, F. and Ó Comáin, M. 2005 The Ó Máille memorial plaque and its heraldic achievement. In Manning et al. 2005 New Survey of Clare Island. Volume 4: The Abbey. Dublin, Royal Irish Academy.