(Link)
Title: Gowran Church, Gowran, County Kilkenny - Effigy of a Butler Knight
Author: Rae, Edwin
Issue Date: 2008
Description: (handwritten on back of image): C340, Gowran, Co. Kilkenny: St. Mary's parish church: tomb of knight, upper part (multiple images on file)
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2262/16386
Role: Collector
Culture: Irish
Material (Support): stone
Period: Late Medieval
Work: sculpture
Appears in Collections: TRIARC - Edwin Rae Collection (Digital Image Collection)
Tomb of a Butler Knight, St. Mary's Church, Gowran, Co. Kilkenny
St Mary's Church
Collegiate Church, Effigial Tombs and Ogham Stone
The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to state it's full name, is a really wonderful 13th century building. This rectangular church has undergone many changes over the years. The original chancel was removed and replaced by a 19th century Parish Church, the superb central tower was vastly modified in the 14th or 15th century and the crenellations were added to the church. The church was served by a college of clerics, rather than monks, who lived in a nearby house.
There are a number of effigial tombs are situated in the chancel at St Mary's. Two of them are altar tombs. The first one pictured above bears the damaged carving of an unkown Butler knight. The sides of the tomb are decorated with carvings of the twelve apostles and the Butler coat of arms. resting at his feet is his dog, a symbol of loyalty.
Two the west of the single altar tomb is a double tomb. It features the effigies of two unknown Butler knights. It is believed they are 15th century carvings depicting Butlers from Paustown or Neigham. There feet are also resting on there loyal dog. The crucifixion, below left, appears on the west end of the tomb.
Effigy at St.Mary's church, Gowran, Co.Kilkenny,
possibly of Sir James Butler (though there are other Butler possibilities).
Sir James Butler (see here and here),
mar Sabine (Sadhbh) MacMurrough Kavanagh,
both bur Callan, Co.Kilkenny,
had issue:
Edmund Butler, born est c.1460, ancestor of Butler of Newchome, Co.Kilkenny
Theobald Butler.
Edmund and Theobald were (unfairly) disbarred from the title, because they were born before the parents got dispensation for their marriage.