What is recorded here

Kilkenny’s medieval tomb chest still holds two shadowed figures in shallow niches, one bearded man gripping a staff beside a lost companion. They watched the cathedral breathe for centuries before humans moved the stones into Kildare, stripping the chest but leaving its painted faces trapped in stone. The bearded man may have been a soldier, a priest or a king forgotten by history, his cloak carved so deeply it might still hide a secret.

A large collection of cross slabs, grave slabs, decorated stones and three effigies (See KD022-029023- and KD022-029027- to KD022-029057-), dating from the 10th to the 17th centuries have been placed in St. Brigid’s Cathedral (KD022-029005-). KD022-029039-: In the S transept. According to Bradley et al. (1986 vol. 3, 233), two fragments from the same tomb chest (max. Wth 0.73m; max. H 0.53m; T 0.13m) are decorated with two figures in false relief, one only partly surviving, in niches separated by demi-octagonal pillarettes; one bearded figure wears a round-necked tunic, buttoned down the front with a cloak over the shoulders and carries a staff or spear; parts of two more figures in similar niches are dressed in tunics and cloaks, and one holds a book. (Hunt 1974, no. 90, pl. 232) Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 2 February 2012

Chest tomb; medieval to early modern period. Significance lies in its association with a collection of decorated stones and effigies linked to St. Brigid’s Cathedral, reflecting funerary practices and artistic traditions in Kildare.

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