What is recorded here

Graveslab in Callan South is a broken 13th or 14th-century burial marker reused to build the 15th-century piscina in St Mary’s church. Its flowing fleur-de-lys cross lost one arm when the stone was cut for the basin, turning a grave into a vessel for washing hands. The dead person became invisible, but the church kept the shape of their monument alive in daily use.

Forming the sides of the piscina in the chancel of St Mary’s medieval parish church (KK026-010012-), Callan. A 13th/14th-century tapering graveslab which has been broken up and reused in the 15th-century piscina. The graveslab was decorated with an incised cross, only three of the arms are visible in the lower slab on the W side wall (slab Wth 0.56m; H 0.38m) of the piscina. The arms are formed by long, flowing fleur-de-lys springing from the circular centre of the cross. The cross head was within an incised border. What appears to be the upper fleur-de-lys was truncated when the edge of the slab has been cut to form a moulded chamfer with converging stop for the surround of the piscina. The lower slab (slab Wth 0.46m; H 0.33m) on the E side wall of the piscina is decorated with an incised cross-shaft (Wth 0.04m) and has been placed on its side. As with the portion on the W side, the edge of the slab has been cut to form a moulded chamfer with converging stop for the surround of the piscina. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 November 2019

13th/14th-century Christian graveslab, reused in a 15th-century piscina; significant as an example of medieval funerary reuse practices in ecclesiastical contexts.

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