Tomb - effigial (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

Two medieval graveslabs and other features from the parish church of Stackallan (ME018-030----) are now attached to the W wall of the vestry of the Church of Ireland church at Slane. Also at this location is an effigial slab from Painestown church (ME026-0020----). It is an image of an ecclesiastic (max. Wth 0.46m; H 1.3m), surrounded by a shroud, and now missing the upper body and head. It is described by Hunt (1974, 214) as:
Built into the outside wall of the vestry of the Church of Ireland church in Slane is a very interesting early slab of freestone which was removed there from the church at Painestown in the same county. It shows a figure of an ecclesiastic who lies upon the wedge-shaped slab with chamfered edges now unfortunately concealed in the wall. The edges of the slab are carved with a running foliate stem with recurved leaves. The foot end of the slab is pointed. The man’s feet rest upon a head presumably signifying evil. He is dressed in a pleated garment, an alb, falling in fine folds from the shoulders and girt at the waist. The upper part falls in a deep fold over the position of the tucking girdle, the ends of which can faintly be seen. The lower part of the alb appears to have a deep apparel on the front of it. The upper part of the slab, with the head probably upon a cushion, is missing and the present height of the body from feet to neck is four feet, the overall height of the monument at the moment being four feet eight inches. The style is assured and dignified. The slab is a production of a West of England- Dublin workshop. It is comparable with the figure of an abbot or bishop (Simon de Rochfort (?) at Newtown Trim, Co. Meath (197) with a similar border to the slab and to the ‘Felix O’Dullny’ effigy at Jerpoint, Co.Kilkenny (113). The effigy dates probably to the late twelfth or early thirteenth century.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 26 June, 2014

References

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