Graveslab, Callan, Co. Kilkenny

Co. Kilkenny |

Tombs & Memorials

Graveslab, Callan, Co. Kilkenny

A limestone graveslab resting on the floor of St Mary's parish church in Callan carries a cross design that is quietly out of the ordinary.

Most medieval grave markers feature the familiar four-armed cross, but this one appears to bear a seven-armed floriated cross-head, a branching, flower-like form with a circular motif at its centre. That extra set of arms makes it an unusual survivor, even allowing for the considerable wear that has softened its detail over the centuries.

The slab is a tapering form, wider at the top than the base, which is a common medieval convention for grave covers. It measures just under one and a half metres in surviving length, though the base has been broken away, so its original dimensions were larger. The cross is incised rather than raised, cut directly into the limestone surface, with chamfered edges running along its sides, a finishing technique in which the corners are cut away at an angle to give a cleaner profile. A vertical split runs from the top of the slab down to just below the cross-head on the left side, a crack that appears to have developed over time rather than being the result of the original breakage at the base. The slab now lies at the western end of the north aisle of the nave, where it has been preserved inside the church building.

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Pete F
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