Wall monument

The National Monuments Service's description

Inserted in a window embrasure which has been converted into a tomb niche on the S side of the nave of the cathedral (TS061-025003-) on the Rock of Cashel. The wall monument consists of a recumbent rectangular slab (L 2.1m; Wth 0.91m) decorated with a cross with fleur-de-lis terminals emanating from a crown of thorns and surrounded by some of the symbols of the Passion, a whip, hammer, nails, ladder and pincers. There is a knop at the base of the cross-shaft which rests on a pillar-base form with a skull and crossbones with an abbreviated form of 'moriemur omnes' (FitzGerald 1901-03, 446). There is a badly eroded inscription in latin, in Black Letter script, around the edge of the slab. It has been transcribed by FitzGerald (1901-03, 445-6) as: HIC JACET NICOLAUS O KEARNY FILI' ET .... MAE, BURGENSIS ET CIVIS CIVITATIS ETIAM ARCHIEPISCOPALIS CASSELLESIS Q OBIIT DIE, _ Ao D _ NECNO HELLENA RAGGETT FILIA THOMAE KILKENIENSIS, UXOR EIUS. QUAE OBIIT 23 (?) SEPTEMBRIS Ao DNI. A portion of the sinister side of the slab is broken. There is a front panel (L 2.2m; H 0.53m), which has been repaired, rests on a chamfered plinth. It appears to be undecorated apart from a centrally placed 'IHS', a latin cross with expanded terminals rises from the bar of the H. Beneath the bar of the H there is a heart surmounted by three nails. The tomb niche is elaborately decorated with 17th-century stucco work. The soffit displays four angels surrounded by the sun, moon and stars, the E wall displays the remains of a crucifixion scene and there is a badly eroded coat of arms on the opposite W wall.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 06 August 2014

References

FitzGerald, Lord W. 1901-03 Cashel Parish – The Rock of Cashel. Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland 5, 434-48.