Tomb — effigial in Dunsany

The fragmentary double effigy tomb of a lady and her knight is now reconstructed in the N chapel off the nave. The table (dims 2.16m x 1.24m; T 0.11m; H over base 0.82m) has a chamfered edge and is carved in relief. The end-panels show ecclesiastics (E) and the scourging of Christ (W), while the long sides have crests including the Plunkett, FitzGerlad, Fleming, and FitzEsutace arms, amongst others. Although there is no inscription, the tomb may have been prepared for Sir Christopher, who died in 1462, and his first wife, Anne Fitzgerald, or possibly for his son, Richard, who died c. 1470-72. (FitzGerald 1915, 338-9; Hunt 1974, 1, 205-06). The tomb is described by FitzGerald as: This altar-tomb is uninscribed. The covering slab bears the effigies of a knight and his wife in the horned head-dress of the period; the feet of the knight rest on a dog, and those of his wife on a cushion embroidered with two eagles between which is a (?) cat’s head. One end-slab of the sides has a representation of the chastisement of our Lord in a central panel, with an angel swinging a censor in the panels on either side; in the opposite end a bishop or saint occupies each of the three panels. The two longer sides are each divided into five niches, richly floriated, and, though empty, coats-of-arms on shields occupy the spaces between the nice-heads. On one side appear, from left to right, the arms of Plunkett, Fleming (?), Castlemartin (three towers), and Plunkett, impaling FitzGerald or FitzEustace. On the other side are shields bearing the arms of Plunkett, on another FitzGerald or FitzEustace, on the third a heart pierced by two swords saltire-wide, and on the fifth a cross and some emblems of the Crucifixion. Possibly the knight represents Sir Christopher Plunkett, Kt. (second son of Sir Christopher of Killeen), who is generally considered to have been the first Baron of Dunsany, and who died in 1462. He was twice married – first to Anne FitzGerald, daughter to Richard FitzGerald, of Ballyshannon, a younger son of Maurice, 4th Earl of Kldare; and secondly to Elizabeth Preston, daughter of Roger, first Viscount Gormanston. He left issue by his first wife. As the altar-tomb bears no inscription, and the Preston arms do not appear on it, it strikes one that it may have been erected during the lifetime of Sir Christopher. Yet, as Sir Christopher Plunkett in his will desires his body to be buried in the chancel of the church at Killeen, it is just possible that the Dunsany tomb may belong to his son and successor, Richard Plunkett, 2nd Lord Dunsany, who died between 1474 and 1482; his wife was Joan, daughter of Sir Rowland FitzEustace, Baron of Portlester, whose family arms are: “Or, a saltire gules”; and when sculptured on a stone are identical with the FitzGerald arms: “Argent, a saltire gules”; hence the shield on the side of the tomb may be either the FitzGerald or the FitzEustace arms. Of the two, it is more probable that the tomb belongs to the latter Lord Dunsany. Date of upload: 11 March, 2015