Tomb - effigial

The National Monuments Service's description

Recorded by Hunt (1974, i, 213) as follows: 'Just to the south of the church-tower in the old graveyard in Ratoath is the effigy of a knight with his head upon a tasseled cushion, with remains of foliate decoration in relief upon the edge of the slab at this position. He is armed in mail over which can be seen a surcoat to the knee, belted at the waist and having a round neck. The coif was apparently thrown back from the head which has a basin-cut chevelure. The cushion is represented as if it had folds radiating from the head. The hands lie one upon the sword-grip and the other on the sword below. The sword has a large pommel and a short cross. Some object, perhaps part of the strap of the sword-mounting appears below the belt and descends down beside the sword. The legs are missing from below the knee. On the south side of the tapered slab is a badly worked inscription in Lombardic characters of which the following letters can be read [some of which are doubtful]: 'ORATE / PANIUM (?) . . . ALME(?) FILI FABRI . . . ' As far as can be seen despite the worn condition of the stone, the date must be late thirteenth or early fourteenth century.'

See attached image.

Date of upload: 20 December 2011

References

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