Armorial plaque (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

A 16th century armorial plaque and inscribed stone are set into the upstream (N) parapet wall of the modern concrete bridge on the N52 crossing the River Deel. The armorial plaque and inscribed stone were removed from the 16th century bridge (WM013-063---) when it was demolished in the late 1960s. The limestone armorial plaque (dims. H 0.55m x Wth 0.84m) bears two shields belonging to Sir John Bedlow (Bellew) and his third wife Ismay Nugent who was previously married to Thomas Casey of Athboy, they lived at Castletown, Co. Louth. The first shield bears the arms of John Bellew & Ismay Nugent; the second shield bears the arms of Thomas Casey & Ismay Nugent. The armorial stone has a Latin inscription beneath the coat of arms which reads DNS ˑ PUIDEBIT ˑ IN ˑ DNO ˑ CONFIDO ˑ 1586
The inscription on the stone plaque (dims. Wth 0.83m x H 0.23m) reads as following:
THE ˑARMES ˑ OF ˑ Srˑ JOHN ˑ BEDLOW ˑ KNIGHTˑ AND ˑ DAEM ˑ ISMAY ˑ NUGENT ˑ HIS ˑ WIF ˑ WIF ˑ BEFOR ˑ TO ˑ THOMAS ˑ CASI ˑ OF ˑ ATHBOY ˑ MAED ˑ THIS ˑ BRIDG ˑ IN ˑ ANNO ˑ DNI ˑ 1584 ˑ DESIRING ˑ ALL ˑ THAT ˑ PASED ˑ BY ˑ TO ˑ PRAY ˑ FOR ˑ THEM ˑ ALL ˑ THREE ˑ

Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 12 April 2018