Memorial stone in Athlone

Wall memorial of Mathew De Renzi who died in 1634. Only a small fragment of a much larger wall memorial survives inserted into the W end of the S wall of the nave of the 19th century St Mary's C of I church (WM029-042023-). The surviving fragment (dims. Wth 1.26m; H 0.24m) consists of an apron and shelf in black marble. The inscription is on the apron in incised gold capitals: THIS MONVMENT WAS ERECTED BY THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR MATHEW DE RENZI KNIGHT WHO DEPARTED THIS/ LIFE THE 20 OF AVGVST 1634 BEINGE OF THE AGE OF 57 YEARS BORNE AT CVLLEN IN GERMANY AND DISCENDED FROM/ THAT FAMOVS AND RENOWNED WARRIER GEORGE CASTRIOTT, ALS SCANDERBEGE (WHO IN THE CHRISSTIAN WARRE .OV/ 52 BATTLALIES WITH GREAT CONQVEST AND HONNOR AGAINST THE GREAT TVRKE) HE WAS A GREAT TRAVE;ER/ AND GENERALL LINGVIST: AND HE KEPT CORESPONDENCY WITH MOST NATIONS IN MANY WEIGHTY AFFAIRES: AND IN THE THREE YEARS GAVE GREAT PFECTION TO THIS NATION BY COMPOSEINGE A GRAMMER DICTIONNARY AND CHRONICLE IN THE/ IRISH TONGVE: AND IN ACCOMPTS MOST EXPERT AND EXCEEDINGE ALL OTHERS TO HIS GREAT APPLAV../ THIS WORKE WAS ACCOMPELSHED BY HIS SONNE MATHEW DE RENZI ESQR AVGVST THE 22 1635 (Bradley et. al. 1985, 42). Compiled by: Rachel Barrett Date of upload: 15 October 2010