AN OLD carved stone head which mysteriously reappeared a decade after going missing from Clonmacnoise had brought bad luck to those who took it, according to an informant who contacted the manager of the Clonmacnoise visitor centre Tom Moore.
Possibly a depiction of St Ciarán, the carved head was one of four artefacts surrounding St Ciarán’s Well in Clonmacnoise, Co Offaly.
It was used as a station for pilgrims who traditionally worship there in September on Pattern Day.
The head disappeared in 1998, when the well was still in private ownership. Its whereabouts remained unknown until last March, when Mr Moore received a phone call from a local pub.
The caller put Mr Moore in touch with a “go-between” who told him the piece had been returned to the well earlier that day. “He was a bit worried someone else might take it,” said Mr Moore.
The man claimed the head was found in a field about 50m from the site and was taken away for safekeeping. Those who took it were unaware of its connection to the well. Although the identity of those who removed the carved head remains a mystery, the caller said, “they had awful bad luck from the time they took it”.
Little is known about the artefact but archaeologists from the Office of Public Works (OPW) believe it may be from the 17th or 18th century. The head is part of a larger bust which has the words “Do Penance” inscribed in Irish on its base.
“Maybe the people who carved this stone at the time might have said it was St Ciarán,” said Mr Moore, adding “it’s more Buddha-like than Christian”.
Mr Moore handed the head over to OPW senior conservation architect Paul McMahon, who has been studying the piece.
The OPW is hopeful the head can be returned to its original position at St Ciarán’s Well once research is concluded. It is currently being stored in a secure location on the grounds of Clonmacnoise.