Tomb

From Potterton (2005, App. 13, 399-400, No. 7, fig. 11, 6): The ‘Thomas A' Beckett stone’ Uncovered in the 1860s by workers digging the foundations of the new chancel of St Patrick's church (ME036-048012-) (Callary 1899, 46), this slab was for a time (until at least 1906) (Anon. 1906, 449) set into the north wall of the ruined chancel (to the left of no. 2, above), but is now attached by iron supports and cement to the wall above the ‘fire-place’ inside the tower. It is a rectangular granite slab decorated in false relief with two panels, on the smaller of which is the bust and torso of an archbishop, slightly off centre beneath a cusped ogee-headed canopy. The archbishop’s right hand is held to his chest, perhaps clutching a pectoral cross, or in a gesture of blessing, while in his left hand he holds a simple knopped cross-staff. He wears a mitre, a pleated cassock and a collared chasuble. The other panel, which takes up almost two thirds of the slab, has eight circles enclosing triskeles arranged in three rows with two cusped semi-circles at either end of the middle row. The slab has a carved frame on three sides, but the fourth side is open, indicating that there may originally have been a further panel. Roe suggested that this slab may be a copy of the shrine of Thomas A' Beckett (Bradley and King 1985, 1, 169). [Length: 88cm; Width: 136cm; Thickness: 10cm]. Date of upload: 16 February, 2015