Stone head

The National Monuments Service's description

Incorporated in the SW boundary wall of Burke's Lane which itself runs NW-SE at a right angle to the S side of Main Street, Cashel. This late 13th/early 14th-century limestone head was identified in 1938 (OPW files) and is 3.1m above the present ground level. It is more accurately described as a bust (L 0.4m) as it includes the head, neck and a small portion of the shoulders and chest of a male figure. It is possible that it is all that remains of a former full-length tomb effigy. The facial features include oval-shaped eyes, a straight mouth and a badly-chipped nose and chin. The curling hair falls just below the ears and is not unlike the hairstyle of the man portrayed on the head-slab (TS061-025079-) in the Vicar's Choral on the Rock of Cashel. The man is wearing a large ring-brooch centrally placed on his chest. This feature is quite similar to the ring brooches worn by two of the Hackett female effigies in the grounds of the church of St. John the Baptist. Both of these effigies are dated by Hunt (1974, vol. 1, 224) to the late 13th/early 14th century.

See attached photograph - Urban Archaeological Survey, 1993

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 5 August 2014