St Gobnait in 3D - a saint reinterpreted

The innovative project will focus on generating a 3D replica and associated hand carved replica of the 13th-century effigy of St Gobnait of Ballyvourney. The wooden statue is of both local and national significance. 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 wooden female figure carved out of oak clearly depicts a female monastic. It was guarded over the centuries by the O’Herlihy clan, who were the ruling Gaelic lords of the Ballyvourney area during the medieval and late-medieval periods. It remained in the safe-keeping of members of the O’Herlihy family until they handed it over to the local parish priest in the late-19th century and it has been protected and kept secure by the Ballyvourney Church Committee ever since.

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.

As part of the project, a conservation report will also be commissioned to assess the Medieval statue of the saint to inform its long-term preservation and in February 2024, on Gobnait’s feast day, a series of lectures will address the importance of Gobnait as saint.