Cross

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the N slope of Three Rock Mountain on the S side of Kilgobbin Lane, near Stepaside Village. A church (DU025-016001-) with a plain rectangular plan and a porch/sacristy on the N side. In 1983 Dublin County Council discovered several cross-slabs and other architectural fragments while carrying out conservation works on Kilgobbin church. One of these fragments consisted of a cross-head which was found among a heap of stones inside the church. The fragment of the cross-head is of granite (dims. 0.18m x 0.18m x T 0.09m) and appears to have had a circular panel at the centre and short arms. The central panel is framed by an incised line and raised border. On the other face there is a raised border and one arm of a cross drawn with arcs in relief. Date is uncertain (Ó hÉailidhe 1984, 143).
Fragment of a cross-head (stone e) which may have been the finial of the church gable was described by Ó hÉailidhe as follows; 'Fragment of a cross-head found by Mr D. K. C. Pilkington of Glenamuck among a heap of stones inside the church. It is of granite and measures 18cm by 18cm by 9cm thick. The cross appears to have had a circular panel at the centre and short arms. On one face the centre panel is framed by an incised line and raised border. On the other face there is a raised border and one arm of a cross drawn with arcs in relief. The date is uncertain'.
The present location of this cross-head is unknown and it is not visible today inside the church ruins.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 8 May 2023

References

Ó hÉailidhe, P. 1984 Decorated stones at Kilgobbin, county Dublin. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 114, 142-4.

Anon. 1900 Excursion to Tully, Rathmichael, Kiltiernan and other places in south County Dublin. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 30, 180-92.

Anon. 1900 Proceedings. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 10, no. 4, 388-450.