Tomb — effigial in Carlow

Effigial tomb cover of Robert Hartpole, Constable of Carlow Castle (CW007-018002-), originally located in the graveyard (CW007-018010-) of St. Mary's church (CW007-018007-), relocated to Oak Park House, later to the town park in Portarlington Co. Laois (LA005-032----) and recently removed from the town park and now housed in Carlow County Museum (CW007-181----). Under the 2021 Community Monument Fund, the 16th century Hartpole Effigy was moved from the park in Portarlington on the 13/10/2021 by Gebel & Helling Conservation Ltd. under the supervision of Isabella Mulhall & Karena Morton of the National Museum of Ireland and Martin Reid of the National Monuments Service. In 1895 John C. O’Neill wrote the following account about the discovery of the Hartpole tomb in a letter to the editor of the Carlow Vindicator; ‘Having read in your issue of the 26th Jan., a very interesting letter from the pen of " C. J. H.," relative to the whereabouts of the effigy of Robert Harpol (nicknamed by the peasantry for his cruelties, "Robert the Terrible"), which was unearthed in the ancient burial-ground known as St. Mary's, and afterwards conveyed to Oak Park, the residence of Mr. Bruen, I thought that perhaps a few incidents relative to "Robert the Terrible," and the manner in which his effigy was discovered, might interest your readers, especially those who love to take a backward glance at the past history of their country. The old churchyard known as St. Mary's, and of which at the present day but one solitary tomb remains, was situated in Castle Hill, Carlow, and stretched right along through Coal Market to the present Protestant Cathedral. It was a tine old graveyard, perched upon a rising ground, and within a few perches of the River Barrow. The graveyard was cut away to make room for dwelling-houses, although many more convenient sites might have been easily obtained without desecrating the City of the Dead. The cutting away of this once magnificent churchyard was an act worthy of the earliest days of vandalism, and not at all creditable to the traditions of those who are credited with holding the sepulchres of the dead in extreme veneration. The discovery of Harpol's effigy dates as far back as fifty years ago, and this is the manner which it was discovered: "Some workmen were engaged cutting away a portion of the graveyard for building purposes, when they discovered a stone effigy about four feet below the surface, which they raised and placed upright against a tombstone. The effigy was in a perfect state of preservation, notwithstanding the long period it remained buried beneath the surface of the churchyard. Crowds flocked to view the effigy, which represented a knight clad in armour. Some thought it was the effigy of an ancient Celtic king, but in reality none of those who congregated to view it could unravel the mystery of whom it represented, and it lay where it was placed, shrouded in oblivion, for a couple of days, when an old friar visited the spot, and pronounced it to be the effigy of Robert Harpol, and pointed out a Latin inscription which had escaped the notice of those who had previously examined it. Some Carlow-Graigue men were amongst those who discovered it, and on hearing whom it represented, one of them, raising a pickaxe, struck off the head of the effigy, which was afterwards flung into the Barrow near Cox's-lane. The father of the present Mr. Bruen had the decapitated effigy removed to his residence at Oak Park, and offered a substantial reward for the recovery of the head, which was recovered and conveyed to Oak Park by the very persons who cast it into the Barrow’ (O’Neill 1895, 135-6). In 1909 Canon Ffrench, Rector of Clonegal, described the Hartpole Tomb (CW002-013----) the side panels of which were then located in the walled garden at Oak Park House [NIAH Reg. No. 10300206], as follows; ‘On the opposite page is shown a fragment of the sides of an altar-tomb which was bought in the first half of the last century by Colonel Bruen, M.P,, father of the Right Hon. Henry Bruen, and is said to have been found at some distance below Shrule Castle [LA032-012001-] in the River Barrow. At present it rests on a heap of debris against the garden wall at Oak Park, and this heap of stones all probably formed part of the original monument. It is like the monument itself of black marble, and contains many finely cut and moulded stones. The present gross width of the stone, from which the figure stands in relief, is 2 feet 3 inches [0.68m]. The height of the stone figure, and the height of the pillar alongside it, is 21 inches [0.53m]; the gross width of the figure is 13 inches [0.33m]. It seems to be represented as vested in a steel cuirass. Possibly it may be a long-waisted, peaked, and close-fitting doublet; but it looks more like a cuirass, and over it, around the neck, there is a collar turned down. Some light open headpiece, probably the "salade" or morion, was worn, which is now greatly defaced. The face shows a short fringe of hair across the forehead. There is no doubt that this is one of several figures, each of which occupied a niche in the sides of an altar-tomb, and represented the children of Robert Hartpole, Constable of Carlow Castle [CW007-018002-], by his wife Grania O'Byrne. Their children were Sir William, George, James, Henry, Pierce, Helen, Margaret, and another daughter, who was the wife of John Hovenden, of Ballyfoyle, in the Queen's County. Robert Hartpole in his Will expressed the wish to be buried in St. Mary's Church [CW007-018007-] in Carlow; and his death took place on the 3rd October, 1594. The effigy-slab of his tomb now lies in the grounds of "Kilnacourt," Portarlington, where it was removed some years ago by the then occupant, a Miss Bowen, who claimed descent from Robert Hartpole’ (Ffrench 1909, 521-2) Effigial tomb described by Bradley (1990, 45-6) as an; ‘Armoured Knight resting on a rectangular slab of Iimestone. In two pieces. The legs and hands are badly damaged, and the head is missing. The figure is wearing plate armour, pointed over the chest. The sword is suspended from a belt around the waist. The hands were originally joined in prayer on his chest. The feet rest on a dog which lacks its head. Incised inscription on the dexter side in a mixture of Roman and Gothic lettering: ‘hic jacet roBARTUS HARTPOOLE ConEStabularius de catHERLAGH SEPTUAGENARIO MAIOR interiit III DIE OCTOBRiS 1594 Translation: Here Iies Robert Hartpole, constable of Carlow more than a septuagenarian, he died on the 3rd day of October 1594, The missing letters are supplied from FitzGeraId (1903-5, 223-6). Dims: L. 220 W. 75 H. above ground 52 H. Of effigy 39cm’ See attached 19th century drawing of Hartpole effigial tomb taken from ‘Memoirs of the Family of Grace’ (Grace 1823). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 2 November 2021