Tomb of Saint Nicholas

Last updated

Tomb of Saint Nicholas
St Nicholas' Tomb.jpg
Tombstone of a medieval cleric, popularly believed to depict Saint Nicholas
Ireland adm location map.svg
Archaeological site icon (red).svg
Shown within Ireland
Location County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland
Coordinates 52°30′36″N7°10′08″W / 52.5100°N 7.1688°W / 52.5100; -7.1688 Coordinates: 52°30′36″N7°10′08″W / 52.5100°N 7.1688°W / 52.5100; -7.1688
Typeeffigy
Part of Newtown Jerpoint
History
MaterialStone
Foundedearly 14th century

The supposed tomb of Saint Nicholas is a slab effigy in low relief of an early 14th-century ecclesiastic popularly associated with Saint Nicholas of Myra in County Kilkenny, Ireland. [1] [2] While more probably a local priest from Jerpoint Abbey, [2] it lies in the medieval lost town of Newtown Jerpoint, just west of the Cistercian Jerpoint Abbey. [1]

Contents

It is located 2.0 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Thomastown in the grounds of the privately owned Jerpoint Park. St. Nicholas's Church and graveyard are in the town, where the earthly remains of St. Nicholas of Myra are said to be buried. Belmore House stands at the top of the town.

The memorial has been moved since 1839, and it has sustained damage from the fall of a tree. [1] [3] A conservation plan was developed by the Heritage Council in 2007. [4] In advance of conservation work in 2013, St Nicholas church and the tomb of St Nicholas were surveyed and modelled in 3D. [5]

History

View of St Nicholas Church from Belmore House St Nicholas Church.jpg
View of St Nicholas Church from Belmore House

The lost town of Newtown Jerpoint was founded by either Earl Marshall or Griffin Fitzwilliam in the 12th century [6] at the main crossing of the River Nore by a toll bridge, giving Jerpoint its name, meaning 'Nore bridge'. [7] It was a vibrant town, with about 27 dwellings, a court house, woollen mill, a tannery, a brewery, and reputedly 14 taverns. Newtown Jerpoint lasted at least into the 17th century, but eventually declined, perhaps from the loss of its bridge and the re-routing of the road. [6] Its visible remains and its proximity to one of Ireland's best-known and well-preserved Cistercian abbeys makes Newtown Jerpoint one of the most important sites in the study of medieval settlements in Ireland. [8] The ruins of St Nicholas's medieval parish church dates from the 12th to 13th century, with a late medieval rood gallery and a tower where the parish priest would have resided.

Belmore House was commissioned as a hunting lodge by Earl Belmore in the 18th century and designed by the Irish architect Sir Richard Morrison. [9] An extension of the house was planned as a square villa at the east end of the house with the rest of the house to become a service wing, but it was never built. [10] The Earl of Belmore's main residence was Castle Coole, in County Fermanagh.

Legends

The bones of St. Nicholas, who inspired the legend of Santa Claus, were believed to have been buried in Newtown Jerpoint in the 12th century. The grave's stone slab is carved with the image of a cleric with the heads of two knights behind each shoulder, said to be those of the two crusaders who, so the story goes, brought Nicholas's remains to Ireland. Evidence lends some credence to this tale as the Normans in Kilkenny were keen collectors of religious relics, and it is known that Norman knights participated in the Holy Land Crusades.

Churches dedicated to St. Nicholas

In a papal bull dated 1191, Pope Celestine III created the parish of St. Nicholas in Dublin. Other Irish churches in the Medieval Pale included Skryne, Dunsany and the Church of St. Nicholas Within, Dublin (i.e., within the city walls). After the Reformation, the latter church was rivalled by Church of St Nicholas Without, less than a kilometre away, and by the Roman Catholic Church of St Nicholas of Myra Without in nearby Francis Street.

Related Research Articles

Saint Nicholas 4th-century Christian saint

Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor during the time of the Roman Empire. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, prostitutes, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, unmarried people, and students in various cities and countries around Europe. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as was common for early Christian saints, and his legendary habit of secret gift-giving gave rise to the traditional model of Santa Claus through Sinterklaas.

County Kilkenny County in Ireland

County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the county. As of the 2016 census the population of the county was 99,232. The county was based on the historic Gaelic kingdom of Ossory (Osraighe), which was co-terminus with the Diocese of Ossory.

Kilkenny City in Leinster, Ireland

Kilkenny is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512.

Blackrock, Dublin Suburb of Dublin in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Ireland

Blackrock is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, 3 km (1.9 mi) northwest of Dún Laoghaire.

Ferns, County Wexford Town in Leinster, Ireland

Ferns is a historic town in north County Wexford, Ireland. It is 11.7 km (7.3 mi) from Enniscorthy, where the Gorey to Enniscorthy R772 road joins the R745, both regional roads. The remains of Ferns Castle are in the centre of the town.

Thomastown Town in Leinster, Ireland

Thomastown, historically known as Grennan, is a town in County Kilkenny in the province of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland. It is a market town along a stretch of the River Nore which is known for its salmon and trout, with a number of historical landmarks in the vicinity. Visitor attractions include Jerpoint Abbey, Kilfane Glen gardens, and Mount Juliet Golf Course.

Ballyragget Town in Leinster, Ireland

Ballyragget is a small town in County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated along the river Nore in the north of the county. It is located in the province of Leinster in the south-east of the island of Ireland. Ballyragget situated on the N77 18 km (11 mi) north of Kilkenny and had a population of 1,082 people as of the 2016 census.

Bennettsbridge Village in Leinster, Ireland

Bennettsbridge is a village in County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on the River Nore 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south of Kilkenny city, in the centre of the county. Bennettsbridge is a census town, and has population of 745 as of the 2016 census.

Jerpoint Abbey

Jerpoint Abbey is a ruined Cistercian abbey, founded in the second half of the 12th century, near Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located 2.5 km south west from Thomastown on the R448 regional road. There is a Visitor Centre with an exhibition. It has been declared a national monument and has been in the care of the Office of Public Works since 1880.

Rothe House 16th-century merchants townhouse complex

Rothe House is a late 16th-century merchant's townhouse complex located in the city of Kilkenny. The complex was built by John Rothe Fitz-Piers between 1594–1610 and is made up of three houses, three enclosed courtyards, and a large reconstructed garden with orchard.

Rory OTunny

Rory O'Tunny was an Irish sculptor.

Duiske Abbey

Duiske Abbey National Monument, also known as Graiguenamanagh Abbey, is a 13th-century Cistercian monastery situated in Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny in Ireland.

St Canices Cathedral Church in County Kilkenny, Ireland

St Canice's Cathedral, also known as Kilkenny Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Kilkenny city, Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin.

The medieval lost town of Newtown Jerpoint is just west of the Cistercian Jerpoint Abbey, near Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located 3.2 km south west from Thomastown just off the R448 regional road. In the grounds of the privately owned Jerpoint Park. St. Nicholas’s Church and graveyard are in the town, where the earthly remains of St. Nicholas of Myra are said to be buried. Belmore House stands at the top of the town.

Greens Bridge

Green's Bridge, or Greensbridge, is an elegant, Palladian-style, limestone arch bridge that crosses the river Nore in Kilkenny, Ireland. The bridge is a series of five elliptical arches of high-quality carved limestone masonry with a two-arch culvert to the east. Its graceful profile, architectural design value, and civil engineering heritage endow it with national significance. Historian Maurice Craig described it as one of the five-finest bridges in Ireland. It was built by William Colles and designed by George Smith, and was completed in 1766. The bridge was 250 years old in 2016.

Skryne Church Church in County Meath, Ireland

Skryne Church is a ruined medieval church and National Monument in County Meath, Ireland.

St. Francis Abbey

St. Francis Abbey, also called Kilkenny Grey Friary, is a medieval Franciscan abbey and National Monument located in Kilkenny City, Ireland.

St Johns Priory, Kilkenny Augustinian abbey located in Kilkenny, Ireland

St. John's Abbey, also called St John's Priory, is a medieval Augustinian abbey and National Monument located in Kilkenny City, Ireland. The Lady Chapel of the Abbey is now used as a parish church of the Church of Ireland.

Shillelogher Barony in Leinster, Ireland

The barony of Shillelogher is a barony in the west of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The barony is 36,684 acres (148.45 km2) in size. It is one of 12 baronies in County Kilkenny. There are 19 civil parishes in Shillelogher, made up of 109 townlands. The chief town is Bennettsbridge. Shillelogher lies at the centre of the county, with the baronies of Crannagh and Kilkenny to the north (whose chief towns is are Freshford and Kilkenny, and the barony of Gowran to the east. It is borders County Tipperary to the west. The N76 road bisects the barony. The river Nore flows through the barony. Danesfort Church is located in Shillelogher.

Felix Ua Duib Sláin

Felix Ua Duib Sláin, often Anglicised as Felix O'Dullany was a medieval Irish bishop.

References

Notes

Sources

  • Oxford Archaeology (2007). "Newtown Jerpoint County Kilkenny Conservation Plan" (PDF). The Heritage Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2016.
  • Barry, Terry (1998). "0Socio-economic Impacts of Irish Medieval Settlements" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012.</ref>
  • Rowan, Ann Martha (2016). "Co. Kilkenny, Belmore Lodge (Jerpoint)". dia.ie. Dictionary of Irish Architects.
  • "Belmore Papers (D3007)" (PDF). Public Records Office Northern Ireland. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2011.
  • "LiDAR at the Discovery Programme". discoveryprogramme.ie. 2011. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011.
  • Discovery Programme (2013). "Advancing Research in Irish Archaeology Annual Report 2013" (PDF). discoveryprogramme.ie. The Discovery Programme/Heritage Council.
  • Hunt, John (1974). Irish medieval figure sculpture, 1200-1600 : a study of Irish tombs with notes on costume and armour . Dublin: Irish University Press. ISBN   085667012X.
  • Murtagh, B (1997). "The Medieval Parish Church and Graveyard of St Nicholas, Newtown Jerpoint". Old Kilkenny Review. Kilkenny Archaeological Society (49): 118–129.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.