Memorial stone in Rathmore

On the inner face of the W wall of the N porch at Rathmore parish church (ME024-017----) is a dedicatory plaque (Wth 0.98m; H 0.38m) commemorating in Latin its construction in 1519 at the behest of Sir Christopher Plunkett and his wife, Catherine Preston. (FitzGerald 1908, 34-6; Leask 1933, 154) It is described by FitzGerald (1908, 34-6) as: The mural slab measures 37 inches by 15 inches by 5 inches thick. The inscription is incised ‘black-letter’, and is full of contractions, which being expanded it reads as follows: Orate pro animabus Cristofori Plunkett de Rathmore, millitis et Katrine / Preston uxoris cius, qui crucem lapideam infra villami stam ante cimite / rium construccerunt, et porticum istum, et omnibus ante crucem predictam / dicentibus Pater Noster et Ave Maria pro animabus dictorum Cristoferi et Katrine et parentum suorum, concessum est ducenti dies indulgencie / per V episcopes in concilio provinciali totiens quotiens perpetuis temporivus duraturis Anno DominI MCCCCCXIX. Translation: Pray for the souls of Sir Christopher Plunkett, Knight, of Rathmore, and of Katherine Preston, his wife, who erected the stone cross before the burial ground within this town(land), and this porch; and to all saying an Our Father and a Hail Mary, before the said cross, for the souls of the said Christopher and Katherine and of their parents, two hundred days of indulgence have been granted by five bishops, in Provincial Council, as often as they shall say them, for ever. AD 1519. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload; 24 June, 2014