St.Mary's Church

St. Mary's Church in Tipperary Town has two memorials to the Soldiers of "The Great War" (1914-1918). On an interior wall at the rear of the church is an engraved brass plaque which is The Abbey Grammar School War Memorial; and the splendid East Window of the church created in 1917 is a memorial to three members of one family who died in 1916, one of whom was The Reverend Bell of St. Mary's.

The stained glass East Window in St. Mary's Church was commissioned in 1917 in commemoration of the triple deaths which befell the Bell family in 1916. Captain R. W. Bell and his brother-in-law Colonel Lyle both died on the Western Front in July 1916. The Reverend Bell, father of Captain Bell, died five months later. The four panes of the window depict "The Adoration of Christ by the Magi ", and show The Holy Family in the stable at Bethlehem; with the The Magi presenting their gifts to the Infant Jesus. The Child is held by his mother, Mary; his father Joseph and two angels are looking on. The style of the stained-glass artwork is very intricate and delicate, with detailed renditionsof two lambs, The Dove of Peace and many beautifully painted flowers (including red poppies) and leaves. Across the panels in Gothic-style lettering are the words "THEY FELL DOWN AND WORSHIPPED HIM". At the base of each panel is a small image of Christ and a Dedication. From left to right, the four images are of Christ bearing The Cross, Christ Crucified, Christ ascending to Heaven accompanied by two angels, and Christ seated in Heaven surrounded by angels.

The magnificent stained-glass memorial East Window of St. Mary's Church, Tipperary Town

Following the three tragic deaths in the Bell family of Tipperary within six months in 1916, the magnificent memorial window in St. Mary's was commissioned in 1917 by the surviving members of the extended family in memory of Lieutenant-Colonel W. Lyle, Captain R.W. P. Bell and The Reverend R. P. Bell. Click onto these names to see the memorial panels in detail.

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