The De Profundis Stone is a recumbent stone located in the townland of
Kilbride,
County Westmeath
"Noble above nobility"
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state, Country
, subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Provinces o ...
,
Ireland, near the town of
Mullingar. The stone was possibly used to mark an ancient graveyard, as was sometimes customary in Ireland.
The monument takes its name from a local tradition of stopping a funerary procession at the stone, and reciting the "De Profundis" (a colloquial name for
Psalm 130 of the Old Testament).
[Psalm 130 in its Latin form is sometimes colloquially known as the "De profundis" as these are the first words of its opening line.] The Kilbride stone is the only known remaining example in Ireland at which this "De Profundis" tradition was performed.
The stone is made from limestone, and was shaped into a "coffin-like" shape with a crude cross carved into the top. The stone is approximately 0.94m in length.
Notes and references
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Archaeological sites in County Westmeath