Tomb - effigial (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

from Bradley and King (1985, 150): Effigy of a bishop. Late 14th / early 15th century. Set against the wall in the courtyard of Slane castle. It depicts a bishop under a broken canopy. He is dressed in a chasuble over a dalmatic and alb with amice around his neck. He has a mitre on his head which rests on a double cushion. He has prominent ears, the right hand is raised in blessing and the damaged left hand would have held the vexillium draped crozier. The lower part of the slab is damaged but his feet probably rested on an animal. Hickey (1975) has pointed out that this effigy and the ‘Apostle Stone’ at St. Erc’s Hermitage (ME019-026001-) are probably from the same tomb and were moved here from St. Mary’s abbey, Navan (ME025-024----) in the late 18th century. Dimensions: H 1.97m; Wth 0.49-0.59m. (Hunt 1974, 214)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 10 July 2007
Amended: 15 July, 2014

References

Hunt, J. 1974 Irish medieval figure sculpture 1200-1600, 2 vols. Dublin. Irish University Press.

Bradley, J. and King, H.A. 1985 Urban archaeological survey - county Meath. Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

Hickey, E. 1975 The bishop and the stone. Ríocht na Mídhe, 4, 1, 59-64.