The Old Prior's Tomb, Templemore

In the corner of the Old Church in Templemore is this faded graveslab. I've been to the graveyard within the town park a few times before and took no notice of it. However I recently read William Hayes's paper on it in Tipperary Historical Journal.

The graveslab dates to 1632 (making it the oldest gravestone with a date in the graveyard) and around the sides of the slab is the following in "black letter" / "gothic letter";

"JACET RD : PATER D : EDMUNDUS DULLANY RECTOR BEATA

MARIA DE TAMPLEMORE ET PRIOR COMMENDATORIUS INSULAE

.... FIERI FECIT AO 1632: CUIOS ATA PRORENE= “xs

[Here] lies Rev Father D Edmund Dullany, Rector of St Mary's of Templemore, and Prior in Commendam of the Island . . . who had (me) made in the year 1632: on whose soul may [the Lord] have mercy" - (TIPPERARY HISTORICAL JOURNAL 1993, 186)

The paper suggests that he may have been the Prior of Monaincha outside Roscrea. There are two other Dullany tombs in Loughmore and they may have been connected, possibly being the same or close family. So this would suggest they must have been a family of social standing at the time.

The carvings on the tomb are very worn now and I have tried to draw back in roughly what was there. I think I may not have lasted long in my stone-masons apprenticeship with this attempt!

The foliated cross (draw in) is actually pretty much illegible on site. This motif however is quite frequently used on higher-status graveslabs in this region around the time. There are other examples at Knockainey in Co. Limerick, Inishlounagh outside Clonmel and St. Canice's Cathedral in Kilkenny off the top of my head.

The base of the cross and the skull and cross-bones can be made out on site though.

The name Dullany is an "early anglicised form of O Dubshlaine, the later and modern version of which is Delany, a Sept which was formerly associated with the Upperwoods regions of Co. Laois."

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