Saint Oliver Plunkett's dark little burned-up head is lovingly displayed in a glass case in a church in Ireland. St. Peter's Church and Shrine is prominent in the center of Drogheda, about 45 minutes north of Dublin. (Say "drow GEH deh"). Thanks to the concierge at the Westin in Dublin who offered suggestions on interesting sights north of Dublin, we took a slight detour to visit this curious shrine. The unfortunate Mr. Plunkett was hanged and burned, but some friends rescued his head and preserved it as a relic.
Mr. Plunkett had been appointed an Archbishop in 1669 and was forced into hiding when "the political situation changed" (according to the brochure distributed at St. Peter's Church). The story, according to the brochure: "In 1679 Archbishop Plunkett was arrested on a trumped up charge of treason. False witnesses testified against him but even a Protestant jury in Ireland would not convict him. He was transferred to London and tried there for treason. In a scandalous travesty of justice, he was convicted and sentenced to death. On 1st July 1681 Archbishop Plunkett was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn. His head was rescued from the fire by some friends of his and is today venerated here in St. Peter's, Drogheda". Oliver Plunkett was canonized in 1975.
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| Shrine of Saint Oliver Plunkett's Head in St. Peter's Church, Drogheda, Ireland |
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| Saint Oliver Plunkett's Head (in an unfortunately glary glass case) |
