Thursday 13 April 2023

Kilfane Long Man. The Cantwell Fada, Kilkenny

Kilfane Long Man.

The Cantwell Fada

Kilkenny.

The Kilfane Long man is a Knight effigy carved in stone located about five Kilometers from Thomastown in Kilkenny.

It is purportedly the tallest effigy in Ireland and this I could well believe. He is extremely tall indeed.

The Knight effigy

(in as often as I have encountered them)

are a type of tomb-slab which sit over the burial sarcophagi of these medieval Lords and warriors.

Occasionally the Knight's wife and Lady and his trusty hound are also carved alongside him. I'm not an expert on medieval Knights so I won't go into too much detail here.

It is mentioned on occasion by some sources that the position of the legs indicated whether or not the Knight had participated in Crusades

to the Holy Land

of if he was a member of the order of Knights Templar.

Crossed legs indicated he was a Crusader while uncrossed legs suggested otherwise.

Still other sources suggest that this belief is merely folklore and has no basis in fact but it's an interesting point of note nonetheless.

In a lot of instances and as found here at Kilfane the effigies are all that remain of the old tombs and these are sometimes inserted into walls, floors or niches.

At Kilfare this particular Knight is standing upright inside a church ruin

and is located within a protective glass enclosure to save it from further erosion, weathering and the elements.

The original tombs were Effigy tombs and a type of large stone Chest or Box upon which the Knight rested on top lying in a recumbent position.

Many tombs would have also had ornate carvings and small figures carved on side panels called "weepers."

Occasionally words and dedications are also carved on the tomb in delicate script, sometimes in Latin.

Despite the Kilfane Long Man missing the remainder of its tomb and funerary accoutrement the Church itself and the unusual nature of the Long man and his backstory make for a very good excuse to pay a visit.

The Kilfane Longman is also known as the Cantwell Fada. It is easily beyond seven feet tall.

At one time in the distance past it was purportedly being readied to be moved to Saint Canice's Cathedral in Kilkenny but the tale goes that the effigy just got heavier and heavier and couldn't be moved.

The Knight is believed to have been Thomas de Cantwell (Canteull/Kenitwall).

It is carved in Limestone and is sometimes dated to 1319 although earlier dates are also suggested for the middle of the 13th century, around 1250.

He is adorned in Chainmail, carrying a large shield and sword and wearing spurs while his legs are crossed.

The unfortunate Thomas de Cantwell was reputedly stabbed to death by his wife Beatrice.

My photographs were taken in badly reflecting light and are of a poor quality.

The Church has a suggested date of construction from the 14th Century onwards. The present remains are probably a multi-period construction.

Features include a small Aumbrey, the Tower itself, Ogee windows, niches, a machicolation, a small sedilia and several Consecration Crosses which I missed.

There is an upright gravestone in the Church which records a death in 1707 from Smallpox, a disease which is unknown to us today and one of the very few viruses to be completely eradicated.