307 – Our Lady of Clonfert Ornament

These are unique items designed and made by us in Ireland. THE DESIGN: Our Lady of Clonfert ceramic ornament A double sided ornament with Our Lady of Clonfert on one side surrounded by May flowers bouquet. On the other side is a prayer to Our Lady of Clonfert: OUR LADY OF CLONFERT I come to you, as one of your children, who will never forget the importance of a woman like you. I come to say thanks for the past and the present and ask you to bless me in the future. You know me, you know how I live and you know my needs. Please help me especially when I need you most. I have problems, worries and anxieties the same as everyone else – help me to cope. So often I would just love to give up when life hurts me and people betray me, but give me the courage never to lose heart. Bless my family, my life and my friends. Help me, no matter what happens to me in life, to believe, to trust and to hope. Our Lady of Clonfert, pray for us. © Fr Sean Neylon Our personalised 3″ (7cm) ceramic ornaments are individually hand-crafted using a technique that ensures the print will last a lifetime – this means no peeling, fading or scratching.   Our Lady of Clonfert Our Lady of Clonfert or the Clonfert Madonna is a beautiful wood statue of the Virgin Mary with the child Jesus held in her arms. Although its origin is unknown, it is thought to date from, at least, the fourteenth century. The statue is believed to be of native Irish craftsmanship and is reputed to be one of a number of examples that derive from the Shannon region from a school of woodcarving that flourished from the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries. With the onset of the reformation in Ireland, under the authority of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I of England, the monasteries, and Catholic Churches were seized, plundered and in many cases destroyed.  So as a precaution the statue was hidden and remained hidden and forgotten until it was rediscovered in the nineteenth century almost three hundred years later. Local legend recounts the accidental rediscovery of the image. The story is told that a local wood carver was searching for a good piece of wood in order to do some work when he came across the tree in which the image was hidden. Unaware of the treasure within he began to chop at the tree. As he chopped he was amazed to see the tree bleed. Stopping, he investigated the strange sight and began to search within the trees branches and folds only to discover the sacred image. Taking the statue from the midst of the tree that had protected it for so long, he realised that he had cut into the arm of the Virgin and severed her hand. This unfortunate accident led to the bleeding which, in turn, led to the rediscovery of the statue. The people of Meelick, a little town some 3 or more miles away removed the statue to their nearby church. However, it seems that the Virgin was not content to remain in Meelick, as the statue would continuously turn to face the direction of Clonfert. The people  recognised the Virgin’s desire to return to Clonfert and so they did. THE PACKAGING You have two options as to how you'd like your ornament presented. (i) Christmas Themed Gift Bag These cheery Christmas themed bags are made with eco-friendly linen burlap material and are handprinted with little Christmas motifs. The bags have a drawstring making the pouches easy to close and open and are reusable.  The Christmas motif on gift-bag may be any one of six designs. We also include a small Christmas gift card and envelope to go along with your gift bag. (ii) Presentation Gift Box The beautiful gift-box has a dual purpose - protection and display.  It has foam insert and  soft fold-over cover cloth which adds to the quality and luxuriousness of the piece. The gift-box and makes the item a suitable gift when gifted anytime throughout the year and especially when outside the holiday season. IN SUMMARY Our ceramics are beautifully illustrated 3″ (7cm) ceramic ornaments that are individually printed and hand-finished. These delightful products enhances any dwelling, whether purchased for ones own home or as a gift for another. They are meaningful little pieces of art that can be displayed all year round. Celebrating our  heritage they can be passed from generation to generation and will always have meaning. PLEASE NOTE Our ceramics and print method are handcrafted so there may be slight differences between them. Please also note: Whilst we do our best to ensure accurate product images, we cannot guarantee that the colour you see accurately portrays the true colour of the product. This is due to photography conditions, and that every monitor and mobile display has different settings that effect colour and brightness for the viewer.