Somewhere on the grounds of Kilkea Demesne in County Kildare sits an object that most visitors would walk past without a second thought: a stone table, apparently unremarkable, but carrying a history that reaches back to the sixteenth century and to one of the most powerful dynasties in Irish history. It is the kind of thing that only reveals its significance once you know what you are looking at.

The table is of Fitzgerald origin, connected to the great magnate family whose influence over medieval and early modern Ireland was so extensive that the earls of Kildare were, at various points, effectively the uncrowned rulers of the country. It was made in the sixteenth century and came originally from Maynooth, which served as the principal seat of the Fitzgeralds, the Earls of Kildare. Maynooth Castle was largely destroyed in 1535 following the failed rebellion of Silken Thomas, the tenth earl, and the subsequent attainder of the family brought their vast holdings into turmoil. Objects, stonework, and architectural elements were dispersed over the following generations, and this table appears to have made its way to Kilkea as part of that wider scattering of Fitzgerald material. Kilkea Castle itself had long associations with the family, making it a plausible destination for salvaged pieces from the ruined Maynooth complex.