Johnstown nr. Boyne Bridge No. 1

Described and illustrated in Cooke (1903: 379-382): "An unusually fine example from the medieval church of Kilcarn [...] now in the Roman Catholic Church at Johnstown close by [...]. The heads of the niches, twelve in number, with which its sides are carved, are enriched with foliage of a graceful but uniform character; and the miniature buttresses which separate the niches are decorated with crockets, the bases resting upon heads, grotesque animals, or human figures carved as brackets. The figures within the niches are executed with a wonderful degree of care, the drapery being represented with each minute crease or fold well expressed. They were evidently intended to represent Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the twelve Apostles. All the figures are seated. Our Saviour, crowned as King, holding in His hand the globe and cross, is in the act of blessing the Virgin, who is also crowned the 'Queen of Heaven'. The figures of most of the Apostles can be easily identified: St. Peter, by his key; St. Andrew, by his cross of peculiar shape; and so on. They are represented barefooted, and each holds a book in one hand." Described and illustrated in Roe (1968: [61]-66 and pl. XXIV-XXVI); Roe cites Isaac Butler's description in his Journal of 1740: "this noble font [...] standing on its 'well-wrought' pedestal and in situ at the west end of the ancient church." Roe adds that the font was for many years the target of horse-shoe throwing by "young lads in the neighbourhood" and further regrets the brutal nailing to it of the lead lining. Roe indicates that only some of the Apostles represented on its sides carry their symbols, and are thus identified as Peter, Paul, Andrew, John and James the Great. Among the shapes ornamenting the underbowl Roe identifies an otter-like animal, a "semi-rampant" lion, a beaver -which Roe says is often mistaken for a Sheela-na-Gig- two wrestlers, two foliate motifs, one of which she thinks may be a "Green man", and five human heads, two female and three male. Roe dates the font to the latter half of the 15th century. This must be the same font that appears as entry no. 12 in "a list of figures, usually designated 'Sheelas', founded in Ireland", in vol. 24 (1894: 78-ff) of the Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland: "Kilcarne.-- On a Font from ruins of old Church of Kilcarne, near Navan, Co. Meath, now preserved in a neighbouring chapel". Pike (1989: 36) describes this font as having a polygonal (twelve sides) basin with eleven niches for the Apostles (the eleventh niche contains two Apostles), and the twelfth side is for the coronation of Mary, all framed in Ogee arches; the underbowl is ornamented with a variety of beasts and persons; the base, dodecagonal as well, appears plain except for a ring moulding at the top. [NB: the County Meath Development Plan for Navan, in its APPENDIX II : HISTORICAL SITES AND MONUMENTS, lists two fonts from the old Kilcarn Church now located in the new Kilcarn Church -- the reference given to its own map documentation is Map W -- SMR no.: ME025-04 -- "Two Fonts from the original Kilcarn Church located in the new Kilcarn Church"]. The font is noted and illustrated in Meath Heritage [http://www.meathheritage.com/index.php/archives/item/me01186-johnstown-font] [accessed 14 March 2023], which gives the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage as source: "Issac Butler, writing c. 1749, recorded the apostle font at Kilcarn church (ME031-003----) (1892, 126). It was moved to Dublin for the Great Exhibition in 1853 (Roe 1968, 61), and after this it may have been moved to its present location in the Roman Catholic church at Johnstown, c. 900m NNW of its original home. It is made of limestone and is dodecagonal, or twelve-sided, in form (ext. dim. 0.77m; H 0.43m) with a flat-bottomed basin (diam. 0.51m; D 0.2m). Each side-panel is decorated as a high medieval ogee-headed niche, enriched with foliage, buttresses and pinnacles. Mythical beasts and human heads attached to the under-panels gnaw at the base of the columns separating the niches. The twelve apostles have been placed in eleven of the niches, two unfortunates having to share, while the twelfth panel depicts the crowning of the Virgin by her Son. All the apostles are seated on benches facing forward, and some can be identified by their symbols: Peter with the Keys; Paul with a sword; St. Andrew with a saltire. St. James is equipped as a pilgrim with a satchel over his shoulder and the scallop shell, the emblem of his great shrine of Compostella in NW Spain, in his hand. The font stands on a plain twelve-sided limestone pillar (total H 0.87m), and is dated by Roe (1968, 65-6) to the late 15th or early 16th century. The font from Follistown (ME025-041001-i) s outside the church, and a pier (ME025-041002-) from the cloister arcade at Bective abbey (ME031-026----) is displayed on the outside of the church tower. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. See attached image Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 10 July 2014". Noted and illustrated in Megalithic Ireland [http://www.megalithicireland.com/Johnstown Fonts, Meath.html] [accessed 18 March 2023]: "This stunning font was moved from Kilcarn Church to Dublin for the Great Exhibition in 1853. From there it may have been moved to it's present location in the Church of the Nativity, Johnstown. Known as the Apostle font this rare dodecagonal, 12 sided, shaped font sits on a short 12 sided column. Each panel is carved as an ogee-headed niche with foliate decoration. Ten of the niches feature a single apostle, another has two apostles seated together and the final niche features the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin by her son. Only a few of the apostle carvings are identifiable. The foliate columns between each niche are supported, corbel wise, by carvings of bestiary and figures. The Apostle font was dated by Helen Roe to the late 15th, possibly early 16th century." On-site notes: on the basin sides, N side: St. Andrew --> St James the Greater --> 2 figures with open book; W side: St. Peter --> The Coronation of St. Mary --> St. Paul --> unknown --> James the Less and John the Evangelist --> Judas Iscariot with money bag --> figure with book --> figure with book --> figure with open book. On the underbowl sides, starting beneath Andrew and moving Left-to-Right: 3 animals -->?-->2 figures fighting --> 3 faces with hats -->? -->? -->?
female face. [cf. Index entry for Johnstown No. 2 for a plain baptismal originally from Follistown]