On Two Monastic Seals That Have Lately Come into the Possession of the Academy

On Two Monastic Seals That Have Lately Come into the Possession of the AcademyAuthor(s): Denis MurphySource: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1889-1901), Vol. 3 (1893 - 1896), pp. 371-373Published by: Royal Irish AcademyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20490465 .

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[ 371 j

XVIII.

ON TWO MONASTIC SEA:LS THAT HAVE LATELY COME INTO THE POSSESSION OF TH;E ACADEMY. BY TTI

REY. DENIS MURPHY, S.J.

[Read JANuARY 22, 1594.]

Two seals have lately come into the possession of the Academy: oneX

by purchase, the other by gift. The first is the seal of the abbot of the Monastery of Canons

Regular of Premontr6, in Trinity Island, Lough 06, Co. Roseommon. This Order, the members of which are usually called Premonistraten sians, took its name from PremontdrU, in licanly, vhereL its first house

was established in 11 20 by the founder of the Order, St. Norbert, after

wards Archbishop of Magdeburg. Several of its houses were dedicated to th-e B. Trinitv; hence it is sometimes confounded with the Trini tarian, a totally different Order, established by St. Johin De Mathia for the redemption of Christian captives from the hancds of the Mloors. Of this Order, too, there were several houses-priories and hospitals thley were called-in Ireland. The ]Pxemonstratensians had nine houises, either abbeys or priories, in Ireland. Their great benefactor seems to have been Clarus Mac Maoilin, Archdeacon of Elphin; he founded four of their abbeys, this among the number. The date of

its founclation, according to De JBurgo, is about 1225. An abbot of this house, probably the last, Eugene O'Mulchiran, was put to death in Dublin in 1580, together with his neighbour, the Cistercian Abbot of Boyle, as may be seen at p. 255 of TriU mphalia S. Cruests.

This seal was found on the strand, near Gaiway, many years ago, and was kept by the finder and his family as a sort of relic. It has been lately purchased for the Museum, from Mr. Lynch, Mainguard street, Galway. The legend round the edge facing inwards is:

S ABIBATIS $SC TRITATIS. PE LOCH QU BE.

In the field of the seal there is a standing figare, over the head

of which is a star, but this may be put in only to mark the end of

the legnd; he holds in his let hand a book (it may be the Rule

:: ' zc2



372 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy.

of the Order), or perhaps the model of a church. The outlines of the

figure are so indistinct that it is not easy to say whom it is meant to represent. I am inclined to think it is the founder of the Order; for

FIG. 1.

lhe wears a mitre, and in his right hand he has a pastoral staff, the croolk of which is turned outwards, which usually betokens episcopal jurisdictioni as distinguished from that of an abbot, which does not extend beyonld his own monastery and its dependencies.

The seconcl seal is that of the Cistercian priory of Athlone. The houses of this Order are usually abbeys; but when the members of the house are few, or for a short time after its establishment, it is but a priory; the authority of the Pope raises it to the rank; of an abbey, and gives him who is at the head of it certain privileges which do not belong to the SuLperior of a priory. The date of the erection of this monastery is uncertain; nor do we know of what house it was an affiliation. It stood on the Connatught side of the river, on or close to the sito of the castle. In 1216 liin, John gave the abbey four carncates of land in exchange for the site on which he wished to erect the Castle of Athlone. In the "Annals of Clonmacnoise," under the date 1216, we read: "The English Bushop that was Deputy (Sohn De Gray, an interesting sketch of whose career in Ireland hias been given by Professor Stokes, in bis 'Anglo-INorman Church in



MURPHY-On Twvo Mlonastic Seals. 373

Ireland'), and Richard Tuite founded a stone castle in Athlone,

wherein there was a tower of stone built; which soon after fell and killed the said Richard Tuite, with eight Englishmen. My author

FIG. 2.

sayeth that this befell by the miracles of St. Queran, of St. Peter

and St. Paul, upon whose laud the said castle was built." Nothing

whatever remains of the monastery; but the name of the patron is

retained in the parish of St. Peter. The legend round the edge of the seal is:

+ S P]IORIS Sol PETRI DE ATILTOYN.

In the upper part of the field the ]B Y. Mary supports with her

left arm the Child Jesus, whose right hand is raised in blessing: his

head is surroLmded with a nimbus. In the lower part, under a

canopy, a priest fully vested, wearing the wide chasuble, more in

use in former times than now, stands at an altar, saying Mass.

His left hand holds a chalice covered with the pall. Hirs right is

raised, making the sign of the cross over it, with only the two first

fingers extended, a manner of blessing now used only by bishops.

A tall cross is on the altar in front of him.

This seal came into my possession some years ago, having been

given me by the person who found it, on what was forTmerly abbey

land, near the Shannon. I have given it to the Museum.



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On Two Monastic Seals That Have Lately Come into the Possession of the Academy