Tomb - effigial

The National Monuments Service's description

In the eastern recess in the N wall of the chancel of Kilcooly Abbey (TS043-034001-). This altar tomb (L 1.89M; H 0.78m; Wth 0.26m) bears the effigy of Pierce fitz Oge Butler who died in 1526. Black letter script in latin around the effigy which was transcribed by Carrigan (1903, vol. 5, 453) as: HIC IACET PETRUS FILIUS JACOBI JUVINIS BUTHELER CU SUIS PARETIB' Qi OBIIT I DIE SCI BNDI ABBIS A DOi M CCCCCXXVI QR AIAB PPICIET' DE' PAT'NR & AVE MARIA which translates as 'Here lies, together with his parents, Pierce fitz Oge Butler, who died on the feast of St Benedict, Abbot, A.D. 1526. On whose souls God have mercy. A Pater Noster and Ave Maria' (Hunt 1974, vol. 1, 228). According to Hunt (ibid., 228-9) the two panels which form the side of the tomb do not appear to be the original arrangement. Rae (1971, 22-3) mentions how the mensa/table top fits into the front panel rather than the more usual form which projects out over it. The larger front panel (L1.71m; H 072m; T at top 0.21m; T at side 0.14m) is decorated with seven apostles, each within an ogee-headed niche with leaf-forms in the spandrels. On a flat member above these spandrels are the names of the apostles with a stylised flower between each name. The order in which the apostles are arranged, namely Peter, Andrew, James the Major, John, Thomas, James the Minor and Philip, is the same as that on the other tomb-chests from the O'Tunney workshop (ibid.). The top surface of the panel bears a latin black letter inscription which has been transcribed and translated by Hunt (1974, 228) as: HIC IACET JACOBUS FILI' PETRI BUTLER Q' OBIIT [date uncut] - Here lies James fitz Butler, who died [date uncut]. The smaller panel (L0.69m; H 072m; T at top 0.21m; T at side 0.14m) is decorated with three apostles, with the dimensions and form typical of an end panel. The apostles, Bartholomew, Simon and Matthew, are each within an ogee-headed niche with leaf-forms in the spandrels, different from those in the long panel. On a flat member above these spandrels are the names of the apostles, but with no stylised flower between each name. The top surface of the panel bears a latin black letter inscription which has been transcribed and translated by Hunt (1974, 228) as: RORICUS OTUYNE SCRIPSI - - I, Rory O'Tunney, carved this inscription. Rae (1971, 22-3) speculates that this smaller panel is an afterthought 'conceived during the execution of the rest or soon after it was finished' and suggests that the 'enlargement of the mensa may have furnished a convenient place to put a portable altar for the celebration of Masses for the souls of the dead'. Also incorporated into the 'altar' are two fragments from two other tombs. One (TS043-034024-) is lying recumbent immediately below the effigial figure. The other is a fragment from the effigial tomb (TS043-034023-) in the S transept, this fragment has been incorporated into the plinth beneath the figures of the saints.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 26 August 2011

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 3/2010).

References

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

Rae, E.C. 1971 Irish sepulchral monuments of the later middle ages (part 2). Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 101, 1-39.

Carrigan, Rev. W. 1903 Kilcooley Abbey. Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead vol. 5, 452-7.