What is recorded here

Under a broken canopy in the Slane castle courtyard, a tall stone bishop still raises one hand in blessing. His mitre rests on a double cushion, his prominent ears catch the wind, and his damaged left hand once gripped a crozier now lost. He may have worn the chamber of St. Mary’s abbey, Navan, before men carried him to Slane, but he has faced the open sky ever since, giving quiet permission to the living.

from Bradley and King (1985, 150): Effigy of a bishop. Late 14th / early 15th century. Set against the wall in the courtyard of Slane castle (see: ME019-021----). It depicts a bishop under a broken canopy. He is dressed in a chasuble over a dalmatic and alb with amice around his neck. He has a mitre on his head which rests on a double cushion. He has prominent ears, the right hand is raised in blessing and the damaged left hand would have held the vexillium draped crozier. The lower part of the slab is damaged but his feet probably rested on an animal. Hickey (1975) has pointed out that this effigy and the ‘Apostle Stone’ at St. Erc’s Hermitage (ME019-026001-) were probably from the same tomb and were moved here from St. Mary’s abbey, Navan (ME025-024----), in the late 18th century. Dimensions: H 1.97m; Wth 0.49-0.59m. (Hunt 1974, 214) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 15 July, 2014

Chest tomb, Late 14th / early 15th century. This tomb is significant as a rare effigy of a bishop, indicating ecclesiastical presence or influence in the area during the late medieval period.

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