Cross-inscribed pillar

The National Monuments Service's description

This pillar stone, of hard greyish Silurian stone, stands to the SW of Teampull Phádraig (GA040-013001-). It is slender and four-sided, widening appreciably towards the base (0.9m high, 0.16m by 0.15m widening to 0.3m). The pillar-stone has seven small equal-armed crosses with bifurcated ends deeply carved on it, two on each of its faces except that to the N on which there is only one. There is also a two-line inscription clearly cut on its S face, reading perpendicularly towards the ground. In twenty-three Old Latin characters it reads: LIE LUGUAEDON MACCI MENUEH’ (Rynne 1995). The inscription may date from as early as the sixth century and is probably the oldest extant example of an Irish inscription in Latin characters (ibid., 210). (Higgins 1987, vol. 2, 303, no. 31)

See attached screenshots of 3D model of Cross-inscribed pillar created by Digital Heritage Age. 3D model can be accessed on the Sketchfab website at: https://skfb.ly/6sELv

Compiled by: Paul Walsh

Date of upload: 18 December 2014

The monument was taken into Ownership under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 - National Monument 412.

References

Higgins, J.G. 1987 The Early Christian cross slabs, pillar stones and related monuments of County Galway, Ireland, 2 vols. British Archaeological Reports, International Series 375. Oxford.

Rynne, E. 1995 The ‘Luguaedon' pillar stone. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 47, 205-11.