What is recorded here

Five funerary monuments, including a mid-thirteenth century knightly sarcophagus lid with vine scrollwork and fleur de lys, lay submerged beside the late medieval bridge when recovered from the River Nore in 2001. They may have been defaced and dumped by iconoclasts during the Reformation, or simply broken into convenient rubble for the bridge piers. Either way, the river kept what the bridge needed, holding a robed figure and ornate stone in dark water until excavation pulled them back into light.

Five partial funerary monuments were recovered from the River Nore during the archaeological excavations (01E0036) carried out in 2001 as part of the River Nore Drainage Scheme (Brady 2004, unpublished). These were found associated with the late medieval bridge (KK019-026070-), immediately N of the current John’s Bridge. Brady (ibid. 22) suggests that these monuments were deliberately defaced and dumped in the river by iconoclasts during the Reformation in the 1540s. The closest church is St Mary’s parish church (KK019-026115-) c. 100m to the W, with St John’s Priory (KK019-026068-) a little further, being c. 200m to the NE. Doyle and O’Meara (2004, 16-19) contend that the these monuments may have been seen as a convenient supply of stone, and were deliberately reused as part of the rubble needed to form a protective apron for the piers of the late medieval bridge. An effigial tomb (overall dims. L 2.27m; Wth 0.65m; T 0.11m), described by Brady (ibid. 45) as a, ‘Knightly sarcophagus lid of limestone in three pieces. Defaced raised decoration shows a figure in outline only, perhaps robed rather than in armour, resting on a pillow stone, and equipped with a sword. The tip of the scabbard remains intact, and in this detail the stonework is smooth. The long sides of the slab retain an ornate vine scrollwork that forms interlocking fleur de lys. A tendril wraps around the head end to suggest that originally the entire side edge was so decorated. The scrollwork is partly eroded on the left side but is intact on the right side. Date: mid-thirteenth century’. Brady (ibid. 22, 44) compares the elaborate decoration on the sides with that of the bishops’ effigies in Ferns (Hunt 1974, vol. 1, 237-8 (catalogue no. 262); vol. 2, plate 65) and Kildare (ibid., vol. 1, 160-61 (catalogue no. 87); vol. 2, plate 69), as well as the tomb of Longespée, the Earl of Salisbury (c. 1230-40) in Salisbury Cathedral. This slab is currently in storage with the National Museum of Ireland (see OF018-204----). Reference: Brady, N. 2004 Archaeological investigation and excavation John’s Bridge, Kilkenny: River Nore flood alleviation scheme. Excavation licence no. 01E0036. The Archaeological Diving Company Ltd. Unpublished final report. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 17 January 2023

Effigial tomb; medieval period. The tomb indicates the presence of a historically significant burial tradition in the area, with effigial monuments often associated with high-status individuals or families.

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