Cross - Market cross

The National Monuments Service's description

On the S side of an E-W running road, immediately to the NNE of the grounds of a modern church dedicated to Saint Mochua, and on the W side of a lane leading S to a medieval church (CL009-059023-) and graveyard (CL009-059024-). Indicated and named ‘Noughaval Cross’ on the 1842 ed. of the OS 6-inch map and simply ‘Cross’ on the 1920 ed. Labelled ‘Market Stone’ on Robinson’s map (1977). Listed as ‘Cross’ in the RMP (1996). According to Westropp (1909, 25), this ‘neat octagonal pier’ was reputedly the market cross of a long-vanished town and certain marks on it were said to be used to measure lengths of cloth and other materials sold at the fairs.
It consists of a well-preserved free-standing octagonal mortared limestone pier (1.21m) with a tapered cap (H 0.28m) and it is set off-centre on a stepped plinth (H 0.46m). The pier has been repointed. The tradition of its use for measuring cloth is still known of and, according to one local source, it is believed that the perimeter of the pier measured a length of cloth that was six feet (1.8m) long, which was known as a bandle. A settlement cluster (CL009-167----) lies c. 85m to the S and there is a holy well (CL009-059026-) c. 134m to the E.

The following image has been uploaded: CL009-059025-_01.jpg View from NW

Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 30 March 2022

References

Robinson, T. 1977 (revised 1999) The Burren: a two-inch map of the uplands of north-west Clare. Map scale 1:31680. Roundstone: Folding Landscapes.

Record of Monuments and Places as established under Section 12 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, County Clare. Issued by National Monuments and Historic Properties Service 1996. Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.

Westropp T.J. 1909 Notes on the antiquities around Kilfenora and Lehinch, Co. Clare, Part 1. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 1, 14-29.