What is recorded here

Graveslab in Athenry stands upright against the west wall of the Dominican church, though it lay recumbent in the porch when Macalister recorded it in 1913. The broad, slightly coffin-shaped stone bears a cross with an interlaced lozenge head, a triquetra, smiths’ tools, and the date 1631. It may have marked a craftsman’s grave before the church claimed it, turning a local death into a permanent witness inside the aisle.

This tapering graveslab (H 1.75m; Wth across to 0.79m Wth across base 0.6m; T 0.11m) is now pinned upright against the W wall of the lateral aisle of the Dominican church (GA084-001014-), to the S of the window. When recorded by Macalister (1913, Pl. 1) it was lying recumbent in the porch. Macalister (ibid., 212, IV, Pl. VII, No. 4) described it as a ‘broad, slightly coffin-shaped slab, bearing a cross with interlaced lozenge-shaped head, on a plain plaited stem. On the dexter side an interlaced pattern of six points and a triquetra; on the sinister a set of smiths’ tools – hammer, chisel, and anvil. In the upper sinister corner a reversed tetraskelion in a circle; in the upper dexter the initials IHS and the date 1631.’ There is no inscription. (Bradley and Dunne 1992, 36) The following images have been uploaded: GA084-001047-_01.jpg - Overall view GA084-001047-_02.jpg - Detail of top left corner Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 12 November 2018

Medieval Christian graveslab, 14th–15th century. Its significance lies in its association with the Dominican church in Athenry and as an example of late medieval funerary art in the region.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.