GARDAÍ HAVE begun an investigation of the remains of St Mel’s Cathedral in Longford town, which was destroyed by fire early on Christmas Day.Following confirmation that the ruins of the building were structurally sound, forensic investigators began examining the cathedral with the help of a 60-foot crane and safety cage yesterday .
Precious and irreplaceable artefacts, which were on display at the diocesan ecclesiastical museum at the cathedral, were destroyed in the fire.
Raghnall Ó Floinn, head of collections with the National Museum of Ireland, said there were some important pieces among the 500 or so kept at the diocesan museum at the cathedral.
The most important artefacts were the Crozier of St Mel, patron saint of the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, dating from the 10th century, and the book shrine of St Caillin, the patron saint of Fenagh in Co Leitrim, dating to 1536.
“It has an inscription saying it was made by Brian O’Rourke and his wife Margaret O’Brien in the year 1536. The inscription was in Irish, which is very unusual,” Mr Ó Floinn said. “The original book shrine – the original box – would have been made in the 12th century and was then recovered in 1536.”
“We had it in the museum and we have a full photographic record of it and a colleague had it for study. It’s a major piece. I think it’s a terrible tragedy, a great loss of medieval material.”
Mr Ó Floinn said gardaí carrying out the forensic examination were “fully aware” of the importance of the material.
An expert from the National Museum of Ireland will be present at the scene.
“The people who are doing the recovery will be issued with information about what to look out for. We hope to have somebody with them as soon as possible,” Mr Ó Floinn said.
He said there was “always the possibility, depending on temperature and what fell on what, that there may be at least fragments” recovered.
“At least a fragment of something is better than nothing.”
As well as the book shrine of St Caillin, there were two bells – one, a bronze bell associated with the same saint, and also an iron bell from Co Offaly – an early medieval handbell of the 7th or 8th century.
There was other archaeological material, including vestments, chalices from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, as well as ethnographic material.
“The only saving grace – it’s a small mercy – is at least all the material was listed. It was catalogued and photographed in about 2006.
“It is some small compensation. But obviously anything made of paper or wood is gone. But some of the metal artefacts may have survived,” Mr Ó Floinn said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
SIC: IT