These stone carvings were found on the site of the old site of the clothing factory, Lyons & Co. on South Main Street/Christ Church Lane. They are believed to have come from the Chantry College located in what is now Bishop Lucey Park.
These stones were once part of a 15th century Chantry College building that was in what is now known as Bishop Lucey Park, next to the present day Triskel Arts Centre. The Centre stands on the site of at least two earlier churches – one from the Hiberno-Norse, or Viking era (c.1050) and the other from the Anglo-Norman period (c.1180s).
It is believed the original Hiberno-Norse church was wooden built and may have been destroyed in a fire in 1081. The church was dedicated to the Holy Trinity but would come to be known as Christ Church. Similarly named churches could be found in the Viking cities of Dublin and Waterford. The Anglo-Norman church in Cork comprised of a tower, a steeple, bells and 9ft thick walls, though we do not know what exactly the building looked like. The church was severely damaged by cannon fire during the Siege of Cork in 1690. The building was taken down in 1716 and was replaced in 1720 by the Georgian church we have today. Nothing remains of the medieval church except for a small section of the crypt.
The Triskel Arts Center and Bishop Lucey Park which was originally the area of Christ Church.
In 1482, Philip Goold, rector of Christ Church, founded and built the Chantry College which was used for the education of eight chantry priests. Chantry is a term used to describe a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, i.e., for the soul of a deceased donor. The college survived until 1578; however, following the reformation it was abolished by Henry VIII. It is believed that the college was in ruins by 1670. These stones were recovered during excavations on the site in 1975 by D. C. Twohig.
The first stone has the letters of IHS, which is the abbreviation of IHΣOYΣ which is the Greek word for Jesus Christ. This is known as a Christogram, which is a monogram or a combination of letters that is the abbreviation of Jesus Christ. The second stone shows the symbol of the Eucharist. There are three loafs and three fishes carved on the stone, recalling the biblical miracle story of the loaves and fishes.
Excavations at Bishop Lucey Par/Christ Church (1974 to 1977)
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