What is recorded here

Apostle Stone: a large sandstone coffin slab carved with six apostles on each long side and a Crucifixion at one end, standing west of St. Erc’s Hermitage in Slanecastle Demesne. It belonged to a composite tomb taken from St. Mary’s abbey in Navan in the late 1700s, and its matching cover slab is now at Slane Castle. Time and handling have blurred most of the apostles, leaving only SS Paul and James certain; the others remain a row of broken saints, still keeping watch beside the hermitage.

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----). 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 removed from St. Mary’s abbey in Navan (ME025-024----) in the late 18th century. Its covering slab (ME019-021----) is now at Slane Castle. Dims L 1.75m; Wth 0.42-0.52; H 0.44m Date of upload: 15 July, 2014

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