“All the post-Reformation chapels down to 1867 stood within Thomastown’s ‘chapel graveyards.’ The old chapel of the Penal Times was taken down about 1770 after the Parish Chapel, in use until 1867, was built around it. The present church was built in 1867. A prominent place in all these Churches was held by a beautiful carved oak statue of the Virgin and Child, said to have been brought from Spain by Patrick Lincoln, a wine merchant of Thomastown, who died in 1666. Mr. Lincoln’s widow, Mary Lincoln (née Dobbin), who died in 1709, presented the statue with crowns of silver in 1705. One account says the crowns were later stolen; another says they were exchanged by the Parish Priests for church plate. The statue has always held a prominent place in the Churches since 1705.”

—Carrigan, History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory

Our Lady of Thomastown, (identified by Dr Catriona McLeod in 1947 as a 17th century medieval statue carved in oak) speaks to centuries of Marian devotion in Spain where she originates from, to Ireland’s historical ties with this kingdom which has been an ally for over 500 years, and to a continuity of reverence for the sacred feminine that the Knights Templars themselves once protected.

When I first began researching this Madonna, no one locally knew her story. Even in Irish academic circles, information was scarce. The only facts were that she had been imported by a 17th-century wine merchant, Patrick Lincoln, and that his wife, Mary Dobbyn (daughter of William Dobbyn, of Ballinakill House, Waterford), donated her to the parish of Thomastown—various sources cite different dates, often around 1705-1709, when she died.. It was only by thinking beyond borders—tracing genealogy through Spain and France, and relying on my Spanish and French—that I could uncover the hidden journey of this Black Madonna and the family who carried her across time.

Originally, I had planned to include the story of Our Lady of Thomastown in a book on the reverence of the feminine by the Knights Templar, titled The Way of the Rose to be released by Christmas 2025 or early 2026. But as her story unfolded, I realised she deserved far more attention—enough to be included in my dissertation for my MA in Public History and Cultural Heritage with the University of Limerick and even her own book, as well as an online exhibition and upcoming series of podcasts and talks. Not only is she Ireland’s second Black Madonna, but her significance also extends to the Virgin Our Lady of Charity, Ireland’s relationship with Spain, and to the local community that safeguarded her for centuries.

Our Lady of Thomastown: A Spanish Virgin of Charity

Digital Online Exhibition

DISCOVER HER UNTOLD STORY

HERSTORY

LETTERS TO THE VIRGIN OF CHARITY

Welcome to our “Letters to the Virgin of Charity” wall, inspired by the tradition of leaving prayers, wishes, and memories with this beloved Madonna who has long been associated with miracles. Along with the locals, you are invited to pin your own sticky here (click on image) —a message, a memory, or a hope to share with others. Together, these voices form a shared offering of devotion and connection across time.

This practice follows the vision of Nina Simon’s participatory museum, which emphasizes that cultural spaces become most powerful when communities help create their meaning. As Simon reminds us: “Participation is not about technology—it’s about inviting people to be part of something bigger than themselves.” By leaving your words here, you help weave a collective story around the Virgin of Charity—one that is not just preserved, but lived.