Graveslab

The National Monuments Service's description

In the interior of the medieval church of Tullamain (TS069-045002-), in the NE angle is a recumbent slab bearing the date 1575. The limestone graveslab (Wth 0.86m; min. L 2.98m; T 0.125-0.14m), with narrow chamfered edge (Wth 0.02m) is broken into five fragments. It is decorated with a seven-armed segmental cross in relief with fleur-de-lis termainals. There are three cross-bands at the base of the cross-head and also at the base of the shalft, surmounting a pillar-base form. A raised border runs around the slab and features an inscription in Black Letter which has been translated in the OS Letters (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 80) as 'Hic jacet Edmundus Comyn de Tul... et Grannia filia eugenii viccarthy … lus q obiit xxiii mesis decebris ano dni 1575', the 'vi' in 'viccarthy' is a misreading and actually spells 'M' for 'Mccarthy'. The description of the slab, which is accompanied by an illustration, differs somewhat from what survives. The OS illustration depicts two large portions of the slab - the upper complete and only the dexter side of the lower. The upper portion (Wth 0.86m; L 1.23m) is still in situ though the upper dexter angle (Wth 0.61m; L 0.56m) is cracked. Of the lower portion the upper section with 'lus q obit xxiii' is now broken off (Wth 0.34m; L 0.27m), ; Wth 0.58m; L 0.47m) but the lower portion is more intact, apart from a break on the dexter side (Wth 0.86m; L 0.85m), than shown on the OS illustration as both dexter and sinister sides are intact with what appears to be 'me fieri fecit ….' on the sinister side, translated as 'who erected this monument'. The slab roughly translates as: Here lies Edmund Comyn of Tul[lamain]… who died the 23rd day of December A. D. 1575 and Gráinne [or Grace] daughter of Eugene McCarthy… who erected this monument .… . The inscription begins along the top, continues down the dexter side, ending in December, with just the date 'Ano Dni 1575' along the bottom and the remainder of the inscription is on the sinister side from top to bottom.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 26 August 2011

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.