What is recorded here

Graveslab in Athenry stands broken in the transept, its floriated cross still proud despite losing its base. People walked past it for generations, thinking it marked a new grave rather than an old soul from the 13th or 14th century. The church kept what tyranny discarded, proving that even shattered things belong somewhere they can be seen.

This tapering graveslab (L 1.38m; Wth c. 0.47m across top; Wth 0.39m across broken base; T 0.07m) is now in the W side of transept, against the E face of the surviving arcade. When recorded by Macalister (1913, 214, XII, Pl. IX, No. 11), it was the first of four slabs in from the doorway and was used to mark a modern grave. At that time it was broken in three pieces and the lowest portion was missing. The two surviving pieces have since been moved to their current location. The surface of the slab is decorated with a cross, described by Macalister (ibid.) as ‘a floriated cross in relief’ and similar to GA084-001034- and GA084-001037--, which he suggested dated to c. 1680. However, McKeon (2009, 51, Fig. 17, Slab G) believes it dates to the 13th/14th century. See also GA084-001035- and GA084-001038-. (Bradley and Dunne 1992, 34) The following images have been uploaded: GA084-001036-_03.jpg GA084-001036-_04.jpg Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 9 November 2018

Early Christian gravestone, medieval period; significant as a rare surviving example of funerary art in the region, possibly associated with a monastic or ecclesiastical site.

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