An unveiling: two new statues of St Gobnait revealed

One of the extraordinary rituals still maintained on St Gobnait’s feast day, 11th February, involves a much worn thirteenth century oak statue, a depiction of the saint herself. It is only made available for veneration for two days a year, the feast day and Whitsunday, when it is placed in the church in Baile Bhúirne, Ballyvourney in the Muskerry Gaeltacht, where hundreds of devotees queue patiently throughout the day to visit it.

This is an ancient rite, one that may have been carried out since the statue was made sometime in the 1200s. There are occasional glimpses of its importance and usage in the historical records as in 1687 when Sir Richard Cox noted:

Ballyvorney, a small village, considerable only for some holy relick (I think of Gobbonett) which does many cures and other miracles, and therefore there is great resort of pilgrims thither.

Richard Cox, Regnum Corcagiense or a Description of the Kingdom of Cork, with Remarks on the Antient and Present State thereof, 1687

Nearly fifty years later John Richardson, a Protestant gentleman, gave a detailed description of the statue and how it was used:

An Image of Wood, about two Foot high, carved and painted like a Women, is  kept in the Parish of Ballyvourney, in the Diocese of Cloyne, and the County of Cork; it is called Gubinet. The pilgrims resort to it twice a year, viz on Valintine’s Eve and on Whitsun Thursday…. it is set up for adoration on the old ruinous walls of the church. They go around the image trice on their knees saying a certain number of Paters, Aves and Credos. Then following prayer in Irish ‘A Gubinet, tabhair slan aon Mbliathan shin, agus sábháil shin o gach geine agus sórd Egruas, go speicialta on Bholgach’ and they conclude with kissing the idol and making an offer to it every one according to his ability, which generally amounts in the whole to 5 or 6 pounds … Pilgrims kissed the statue, rubbed aching limbs to it, tied handkerchiefs about its neck, to be worn afterwards as a preventative against sickness.

John Richardson, The Great Folly, Superstition and Idolatry of Pilgrimage, 1723

Over 200 years later, MA Ó hÉaluighthe’s description from 1952 is remarkably similar:

It is still the custom to come for cures … They (pilgrims) make the sign of the cross on themselves with the statue and rub it with a piece of woollen thread which they preserve as a protection against illness and ailments. They call the woollen thread Tomas Gobnatan or Gobnet’s Measure. The older pilgrims used to measure the statue in the sense that the thread was stretched from head to foot, then across the width of the shoulders, and sometimes around the ‘feet’.

MA, Ó hÉaluighthe, JCHAS 1952

In fact what is astonishing is that the ritual remains exactly the same today. Devotees still purchase colourful ribbons, Tomas Gobnatan or St Gobnait’s Measure, that have been cut to the precise length of the statue. They then wait their turn for an intimate moment with the statue, placing the ribbons lengthwise, then wrapping them around the head, middle and legs, finally rubbing the entire length of the figure with the bunched ribbons. The devotee might then kiss the statue or use it to bless themselves with.

The ribbons are taken home and valued for their healing qualities. Originally the statue itself could be borrowed and taken to the bedside of someone ailing. It was considered especially effective in curing sores and smallpox – the latter thankfully no longer a danger making this drastic measure redundant:

The image is kept by one of the family of the O’ Herlihy’s and when anyone is sick of the small-pox, they send for it and sacrifice a sheep to it, and wrap the skin about the sick person, and the family eat the sheep. But the Idol hath now much lost its Reputation, because two of the O Herlihys died lately of the Small pox.

John Richardson:The Great Folly, Superstition and Idolatry of Pilgrimages, 1723

The O Herlihys were the hereditary keepers, the airchinnaigh, of the shrine and relics of St Gobnait and in spite of the smallpox incident they continued to care for the statue until 1843 when it was given into the custodianship of the parish priest who remains its guardian today.

Apart from its healing qualities, the statue is exceptional in being one of five dating from the thirteenth century. (The others are St Maolruan, Tallagh; St Molua, Killaloe; St Mo Cheallóg, Kilkenny and St Molaise, Inishmurray). St Gobnait however is the only statue that is still the focus of a physical ritual. Dorothy Harris, writing in 1938, gives a good description of it:

The effigy is of oak, of the thirteenth century … it is not in the round but was evidently carved from a flat piece of wood, not more than three inches thick. The face is badly marred, only one eye remaining visible, but that of such character and virility of expression that one could well understand its reputed power. She is dressed in her robe of office, and the carving of her coif and folds of her skirt are nicely done. Her left hand is folded across her breast, the right hanging down clasping a fold of her skirt. Distinct traces of blue and gold show on the bodice, as well as the, now very yellowed, white of her coif; and the skirt must originally have been a deep crimson with touches of gold.

Dorothy Harris, Saint Gobnet, Abbess of Ballyvourney. JCHAS, Vol 8, No 2, 1938

Ó hÉaluighthe also mentions the power of her remaining eye and gives a few more details:

The features have persihed with the exception of one large and archaic eye. It has been repainted several times and still retains five discoloured coatings laid over a gesso base on wood. The large head, narrow shoulders and compact workmanship prove that this figure is medieval. It expresses a feeling of solid form with clarity and underlying strength.

D Ó hÉaluighthe, MA; St Gobnet of Ballyvourney, JCHAS, 1952

Although still exceptionally potent, the statue has undoubtedly suffered from 800 years of veneration and is characterfully worn, the eye, her hand and the folds of her long skirt all that are fully recognisable.

In 2023 it was decided to apply for funding from the Heritage Council to make a 3D image of the statue as well as a wooden replica to show what it may have looked like originally and which could be on permanent display in the church. The funding was awarded for the following work:

As patron saint of the parish, the statue provides a tangible link to the saint but importantly represents the long-standing living devotion to Gobnait . .. The 3D project will comprise the digital scanning of the statue which in turn will enable a 3D generated wooden print out. A second replica will be hand carved as an integrative representation of how the statue would have looked originally before the centuries aged and tarnished it. The replicas will then be placed permanently on display in the Parish Church with information signage.

St Gobnait in 3D, National Heritage Week

The 3D model was duly commissioned from emagine, County Waterford and the actual carving of the figure was created by John Hayes from Special Branch Carvers , also from County Waterford. What a great job he did. He used ash for his statue and revealed the mystery of the original statue’s hollow back – apparently this is a well known technique which prevents the wood from cracking. He based the paint colours on deposits revealed during the painstaking work.

The two replicas were unveiled on Saturday 10th February 2024 and were blessed by the Bishop of Cloyne with John Hayes in attendance . Here they are with the original statue in the middle.

To mark this auspicious occasion all women with Gobnait in their names were invited to come up and be photographed with the statues. A fine gathering.

The 3D model and the replica statue will soon be on display in the church in Baile Bhúirne with an information board. In the meantime, the devotion of the the original statue goes on as it always has. Long may it continue.

Incidentally there is also meant to have once been a golden statue of St Gobnait, hidden at some point to keep it safe. It is prophesied that it will be one day be revealed by a horse’s hoof.