It is the kind of thing that is easy to walk straight over without noticing, which is precisely what makes it worth pausing for.

The stone lies within St Audeon's Church on High Street, a medieval parish church whose origins stretch back to at least the late twelfth century, making it the oldest parish church still standing in the city. Set into the nave floor, the slab bears a heater-shaped shield, so called because its outline resembles the flat-iron shape of a medieval heater, a form widely used in heraldic carving from roughly the thirteenth century onwards. Within the shield is what appears to be an eagle displayed, meaning the bird is shown facing forward with wings spread, a posture common in heraldic imagery and associated with a number of European noble and ecclesiastical families. Below the shield, traces of an inscription survive in low false relief, a technique in which lettering or imagery is carved only slightly proud of the surrounding surface, leaving forms that catch light at a low angle but are otherwise difficult to make out. The stone was recorded as a possible memorial stone by archaeologist Geraldine Stout, whose survey notes were compiled in August 2012, and the cautious language of that record reflects genuine uncertainty: the eroded condition of the slab makes definitive identification of the armorial bearings or the inscription difficult.

St Audeon's is open to visitors during certain seasons, and access to the nave where the stone is located is generally possible during opening hours. The church sits beside the only surviving section of Dublin's medieval city walls, so the immediate area rewards careful attention to ground level as well as to the architecture above. The inscription is best viewed in raking light, when a torch held at a sharp angle to the surface will bring out what the overhead lighting of the interior tends to flatten entirely. Given the worn condition of the carving, patience helps more than any particular expertise.