Graveslab

The National Monuments Service's description

In the graveyard immediately E of the main road through Bansha. The Ara River flows due SE to the N. The graveyard is a large sub-rectangular raised area with a significant mound at its centre upon which an 18th/19th-century church is situated. The OS letters (1840) record a 17th-century Butler graveslab located at the E end of the church. It is described as an ornamented slab bearing the following inscription in raised lettering around its perimeter -'Here lyeth Theob: Butler, grandson to Sr. Richard Butler of Knocktoher who discesed the 20th of March 1672. Pray for his soule' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 12). Seymour (1917-20, vol. 10, 136) also provides a transcriptin of the inscription which he notes as being 'in raised Roman characters' and he describes the decoration on the slab as consisting of 'an eight-point cross, the arms ending in fleur-de-lys, while on either side of the shaft are the conventional emblems of the Crucifixion'. This graveslab could not be located at time of inspection.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of revised upload: 02 February 2012

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1930 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Tipperary collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840. Bray.

Seymour, Rev. St. J. 1920 Bansha churchyard, Parish of Templeneiry. Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland 10, 136.