"On the trail of the Black Madonna"

There are two Black Madonnas in churches in Ireland; it was the one in Thomastown, county Kilkenny, that I went to see on a salubrious August day! Before I begin, let's be clear on what a Black Madonna is!! Quite simply, a Madonna figure, carved in Oak, either dark mahogany hued or ebony black; clearly, they are not depictions of Mary the mother of Jesus. Who they might represent, I'll discuss at the end!

So I hitched my way from Kilkenny - about 10/11 miles, passing over the lovely river Nore, before Bennettsbridge, which offers a lovely view of the Mill and its Pottery Crafts shop owned by the Mosses; and my target was the local church of Thomastown - the Church of the Assumption. It was very easy to find, as it stands on a slight hill overlooking the town (there have been a few churches there - one of which was used during Penal times, but they were subsumed into the current building which dates from the second half of the nineteenth century).

The Madonna - called ''Our Lady of Thomastown'' can be seen as you enter the church, to the left of the Altar, beside the statue of Jesus. It is a beautiful carving, not coal black like the one in Dublin, and unusually she is not sitting as many of them depicting her, tend to be. I thought of my many journeys in the Languedoc and Midi region of the south of France, as the Black Madonna is so associated with there - famous ones like at Rocamadour and the Abbey 'Notre Dame de Marseille', outside Limoux, came to mind (sadly three years ago that Madonna was badly destroyed - severed at the neck either by a treasure hunter, or someone who was making a statement; this fate has occurred to other Black Madonnas throughout the centuries in different places, either destroyed or suffering the ignominy of being buried!). I marvelled at the visual phenomenon; the carving and craftmanship was of the highest standard - works of art really - and with all due respect, demonstrate far better workmanship and artistry than statues of Mary the mother of Jesus (the Virgin Mary).

Our Lady of Thomastown looking resplendent!

Upon reading the text, I came across a coincidence, which was another link with the Languedoc. According to tradition, it was brought back from Spain around 1666 by a local wine merchant called Patrick Lincoln! It was then my mind wandered again; I thought of the enigmatic book "The Holy Blood and Holy Grail" about the mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau in the Languedoc, one of whose co authors was Henry LINCOLN, and found the name coincidental. It'd be interesting to ascertain if the Patrick Lincoln of Thomastown, was looking or searching for anything, under the pretext of a business trip. And it'd be interesting to know in what part of Spain, was the carving found!? (Perhaps in Cataluna!)

A final bit about this beauty of unknown and hidden Ireland and spiritual iconography is that, it was adorned with a crown of silver stars, which according to the story, were either stolen or traded by a priest for a plate!! (It would look strange to have two "Queens of Heaven", on display, would it not, me thinks?)

So I sat down and did a meditation, and the words Isis/Magdalen, kept thumping in my ears, as if some message was being relayed to me. And these, of course, are the two personages, most widely cited, as the inspiration/muse for these most unusual statues and carvings (in the Languedoc and the south west of France, they are believed to represent the Magdalen herself!)
     

The Black Madonna in regal pose!

So what a lovely day it was; I felt I had conquered another chapter in my long quest for truth. I left very moved and now thought: as I've seen the only two of these wonders in Ireland, I must see more of them in the aforementioned Languedoc in the south west of France! Certainly the "Black Madonna of Thomastown", is a beautiful piece of carved oak, produced with great zeal, fidelity and consumate craftsmanship, by someone who wanted to preserve the memory of another Madonna!

Final word: Thomastown is a very nice and quiet village; and there is also a disused ruined church from the Penal times! So Kilkenny is not just about its city; but has a number of quaint towns, one of which is Thomastown, whose emblem is "The Black Madonna"!