Graveslab (present location) in Burgagery-Lands West

In the South Tipperary County Museum. This graveslab (TS071-003003-) was found in the fabric of the S wall of the nave of a Cloneen medieval church (TS071-003001-) immediately E of the doorway and was brought to the County Museum for safe keeping. The slab itself consists of a coffin-shaped sandstone slab which survives in two portions, unfortunately there was a third middle portion which is now missing. The upper portion represents the top of the slab and measures 0.60m in length, 0.46m in width at its broken top, 0.40m in width at its broken base and 0.11m in average thickness. This portion tapers inwards from top to base. The lower portion represents the base of the slab and measures 0.15m in length, 0.23m in width at its broken top and 0.17m at its base. The middle portion of the slab which connected the two pieces is now missing. Originally the slab would have measured approximately 1.8-1.9m in overall length; 0.50m top width; 0.17m base width; average thickness 0.11m. The top portion of the slab is incomplete and the top of the floriated cross is missing. The slab is decorated with an incised six-armed floriated cross with a central knop halfway up the incised shaft of the cross. Originally 4 of the diagonal arms of the cross head terminated in a fleur-de-lis symbol of which only the lower sinister (left) and dexter (right) quadrants survive. Interestingly the two horizontal arms of the cross have rectangular terminals which is an unusual feature for floriated graveslabs. Another unusual feature is the presence of a roll-moulding which runs around the edge of the sandstone slab framing the floriated cross. Also unusual is the lack of symmetry in the size the fleur-de-lis terminals, the terminal on the sinister (left) side of the cross is much larger than the terminal on the dexter (right) side. The coffin-shaped slab with the roll moulding framing the edge of the slab was either a coffin lid for a sarcophagus or as a cover for a slab-lined grave. The presence of the roll-moulding may suggest that it was used as coffin lid for a sarcophagus. It is more usual to find a chamfer running around the edge of the medieval grave-slab. The shape and style of the fleur-de-lis, the use of the roll moulding and its tapered form along with the use of sandstone suggest a 13th-century date for this graveslab. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011