The Irish standard., 1914-07-25


road which Christ is said to have
followed on the way to Calvary.
LORD PORTLESTER'S CHAPEL
There is, perhaps. no ancient city
Of present Importance in the British
islands. that has preserved so few
ancient architectural remains, as
our own metropolis. OF modern
ruins. we have, alas, but too many
but of ancient ones, such as the mind
could take pleasure in surveying,
there is almost none; there is not
even single house remaining,
erected previous to the last century
and with the exception of our vener-
able Cathedrals. we have no one
architectural characteristic of any
ancient city. and no ecclesiastical
ruin of any kind, except the little
chapel which is the subject of our
article.
The ruin, which is scarcely known
even to most of our fellow-citizens,
constitutes portion of the ancient
church of st. Audeon's parish,
which was once the most wealthy
and respectable within our city. The
date of the original foundation Of
this church is unknown-it certainly
existed previous to the arrival of the
English, and was appropriated to the
treasurer of the Cathedral of st. Pat
rick. by Archbishop Henry de Loun-
dres, in 1918 and in 1467 erected
into district prebendary. The pres
ent church, however, has no claim to
such remote antiquity, as it exhibits
the architectural peculiarities of the
14th and the 18th centuries. 1t or
iginally consisted of double aisle,
separated by six massive columns,
the remainder being octagonal.
The parish church was eminently
distinguished for its ancient monu-
mental remains, few of which, how
ever, have survived. Among these,
one particularly deserving of atten-
ton lies near the east end of the
south side. 1t is a handsome table
monument, of black marble. bearing
the recumbent effigies of a knight
in armour. and his lady, aa.;. is still
ton, set fire to the adjacent parts
of Leinster and Fingall. as far as
remarkably perfect.
This tomb was erected in the year
1455, by remarkable character of
this time. Sir Roland Fitz Eustance,
Baron Portlester. in the County of
Kildare. He successfully filled the
offices Of Deputy, under the Lord
Lieutenant of ireland, of George,
Duke of Clarence, the brother of
Edward the Fourth-then Lord
Chancellor-and lastly High Treas
urer of the Kingdom, which places
he held for period of no less than
80 years. He was ennobled under
the title of Baron Of Portlester, by
Edward the Fourth, in 1862; but
after all this accumulation of honors
he ultimately experienced the vicis-
STUDIES of human life, having before
his death been removed from the
Treasurship and subjected to many
troubles and Affections. He died in
the year 1496, and was inferred in
the Franciscan Abbey Church of
New Abbey, in the County of Kill
dare, which he had himself founded,
and in which there is similar mon
ument to his memory, and that of
his lady, the daughter of Jenico
d'Artois.
The tomb in ST. Audeon's Church
bears on the margin the following
inscription in black letters or Gothic
characters:
"Orate pro ANNA Rolandi Fit2
Eustace de Portlester. qui hume To-
cum sidi rapellum dedit, in honorem
beatea uxoris suae, ct pro animabus
omnium f1delium defunctorum."
The steeple of this church was
rebuilt in 1870, the former one hav.
ing been blown down in 1668.-Dub.
lin Penny Journal" 1882.