What is recorded here

The Apostles Stone is a large coffin-shaped sandstone block carved in the late 14th or early 15th century, now lying west of St. Erc’s Hermitage in Slane. It displays six apostles on each long side and a Crucifixion with Mary and John on one broad end, though damage has blurred most identities except Paul and James. Hickey showed it formed part of a composite tomb including a bishop’s effigy at Slane Castle, removed from St. Mary’s abbey in Navan in the late 18th century.

From Bradley and King (1985, 142-3): The ‘Apostle Stone’. Late 14th / early 15th century. A large coffin-shaped block of sandstone is a short distance west of St. Erc’s Hermitage (ME019-026----) in Slane. It is carved in relief with six apostles on each of the long sides and a Crucifixion with Mary and John on the broader end. Many of the apostles are damaged so not all can be identified. They are dressed similarly in a tunic and cloak caught over the left arm. Only SS Paul and James are clearly identifiable. Hickey (1975) has shown that this is part of a composite tomb tht includes the effigy of a bishop at Slane Castle (ME019-021----) that were removed from St. Mary’s abbey in Navan (ME025-024----), in the late 18th century. Dims L 1.75m; Wth 0.42-0.52; H 0.44m Date of upload: 15 July, 2014

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