Cross - High cross (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

There is a cross fragment (OF009-005006-) cemented into the S end of the W wall of the graveyard at Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly (OF009-005009) and this piece appears to have come from the shaft of a high cross: it has interlace decoration on its visible side. The missing cross head described below and the possible fragment of the shaft may belong to the same cross. This cross-head is now housed in Dublin, in the National Museum of Ireland (IA File, IA/29/1988).
In 1974 the head of a high cross was removed from the monastery at Durrow and was described by Harbison as 'A cross-head of sandstone stood for centuries on top of the gable of the now disused Protestant church to the east of the main cross. It fell tot he ground in the late 1950s, after which it was placed on a base just south of the church. In 1974 it was, appearently, removed to Durrow Abbey nearby, in the grounds of which the old monastic site lies. The cross-head is 43cm high, 68cm across the arms, and the lower part of the shaft has a maximum width of about 20cm. The arms expand markedly at the terminals, and it seems unlikely that the cross originally had a ring. The ends of the arms are probably not decorated.
EAST FACE : (?) DAVID AS SHEPHERD. A figure stands with a crook in its left hand, and there may be a sheep with turned-back head to the right. Above the figure's head there is what is probably an angel, on the analogy of panel S3 of the Cross of the Scriptures at Clonmacnois. The figure is most likely to represent David as Shepherd, the presence of David in such a position at the centre of the cross-head being rendered quite likely in view of the David interpretation suggested here for the scene at the centre of head of the Tall Cross at Monasterboice. The arms are decorated with interlace.
WEST FACE : THE CRUCIFIXION - Christ is shown in a tight-fitting garment, stretching his arms out at right angles. Stephaton and Longinus are indicated as busts beneath Christ's arms, though their attributes are not shown. At the end of the arms there is a whirl from which serpent-headed animals emerge. Above Christ's head, a bird flies upwards to the left.' (Harbison 1992, vol. 1, 82-3)

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien, Paul Walsh

Date of upload: 15 October 2013

References

Harbison, P. 1992 The high crosses of Ireland: an iconographical and photographic survey, 3 vols. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy. Bonn. Dr. Rudolf Habelt GMBH.