Graveslab

The National Monuments Service's description

From King (1987, 300): ROBERTSTOWN I. Graveslab. 1618. This slab has fallen into the crypt of St. Bridget’s church. It is dedicated to Alexander Barnewall and Alison Nettervil. The centre of the slab is filled with the arms of these two familiies, below which there is an Irish inscription: GAN GAN EAGLE. Underneath there are two maltese crosses and a skull nad crossed bones with the words RESPICE FINEM encircling the skull. A marginal inscription in relief in Roman capitrals is as follows: HERE LYETH THE CO / RPS OF ALEXANDER BARNEWAL SOMETYM / (damage) TSTOWNE WH / O DECEASEED THE 3 OF NOVEMBER 1596 ALSON NET / TIRVIL HIS WIFE WHO / CAVSED THIS MON / VMENT TO BE MADE / ANNO 1618. A nineteenth century repair of the monument is recorded in incised lettering between the shield and the crossed bones: YS MONUMENT RENEWED BY ROBR MCMAHON FOR HIS POSTERITY 1813. Dimensions: L 2.16m; Wth 0.92m. (Smith 1889)

Date of upload: 9 July, 2014

References

Smith, O. 1889 Churchyard – Townland of Robertstown, Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland, vol. 1, 99-100.

King, H.A. 1987 Seventeenth-century effigial sculpture in the north Meath area. In E. Rynne (ed.), Figures from the past: studies on figurative art in Christian Ireland in honour of Helen M. Roe, 283-307. Dun Laoghaire. Glendale Press.