Font (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

The limestone font described by Dopping (1693) as being in St Mary’s abbey (ME025-024----) (Reynell 1888-91, 463) is now in St Mary’s Church of Ireland church in Navan. The font is octagonal (dims 0.6m x 0.6m; H 0.37m) with a circular basin (int. diam. 0.5m; D 0.18m) and shallow chamfered under-panels. The octagonal stem appears to be modern but the octagonal base (dims 0.6m x 0.6m; H 0.25m) is original (total H 1.13m). The font has two shields in relief, one with a cross that has the inscription IN HOC SIGNO VINCES 1716 crudely incised in a secondary fashion. The other has the Butler arms, and Roe (1968, 89-91) associates it with James, the 4th Earl of Ormonde, who joined a confraternity at St Mary’s in 1436. The cross (ME025-044010-) is in the graveyard.

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.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of revision: 19 December, 2014

References

Roe, H.M. 1968 Medieval fonts of Meath. Meath Archaeological and Historical Society.

Reynell, Rev. W. 1888-91 Navan. Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead, Ireland. vol. 1, 4, 461-3.