Wall monument in Gardens (kilkenny City By., St. Mary’s Par.)

At St Mary's parish church (KK019-026115-) in Kilkenny. Inscribed panel from Renaissance wall monument, composed of fossiliferous limestone, to Thomas Archer (d. 1617), which was originally set up, over a pair of stone burial vaults, against the S wall of the S transept of the church (Prim 1865, 305; Lawrence-Archer 1867, 229; Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 93; Cockerham 2009, 355). The monument was removed from the wall and deconstructed in c. 1960 and fragments buried beside it in the entrances to the burial vaults. Enough fragments of the monument survive to indicate its original form as an elaborate Renaissance-style mural monument comprising of three arches flanked by pillars that frame the inscribed panel (Ó Drisceoil 2019, unpublished). The panel is semi-circular in plan, consisting of three separate combined slabs. The inscription is in a recessed rectangular text panel on the middle slab. A smaller separate recessed text panel contains 'D.O.M.', which combines with Celtic-revival interlace motifs. There is a small rectangular notch in the top of the middle slab. The inscription in false-relief, Latin, Roman capitals reads: DOM COMITATIS PRVDE[N]TIAE PIETAT ISQUE LAVDIB ORNATV’ VIR CONSULARIS D. THOMAS ARCHER VERI PAUPERUM PATER, DIERUM AC MERITORUM PLENUS HIC RELIQVIT DEPOSITOM 14 JAN., 1617, QUOD VT REPETAT CV[M] GLORIA PRE CARE. MARGARITA CRANIS BROVGHE RELICTA CONJVX, ET HAEREDES MAESTI STATVERVNT The slab was set into the floor of the Monuments Room following its removal from the S transept in c. 1960. It was moved to its present location in 2015. Compiled by: Cóilín Ó Drisceoil Date of upload: 4 January 2023