Cross

The National Monuments Service's description

Lying on the ground to the NE of the foundations of a building that may be associated with the house (GA103-033001-) and brewery (GA103-033003-) owned by the Martyn family (Holt 1911-12, 241 (70)). According to Holt (ibid.), this ‘tall slender pillar of cut limestone’ initially stood near the roadside. It was insecurely set ‘in a square graduated pedestal’ and subsequently fell and broke during a gale. After that, ‘one half lay on the ground and the other had been requisitioned to block a gap.’ On inspection in March 1983, the base and shaft were together on the ground. Gosling (1986, 17-18) noted that the octagonal limestone shaft (L 2.5m) was flat topped and he suggested that the cross was probably of 16th-17th century date, and that it may have functioned as a wayside or market cross, though local people informed Holt (1911-12, 241 (70)) that it was 'only the shaft of the brewery scales'.

Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG

Date of upload: 17 November 2022

References

Holt, E.W.L. 1911-12 Notes on the Ordnance Survey Letters relating to the barony of Dunkellin: iii - Ballynacourty parish. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 7, 205-51.

Gosling, P. 1986 Rambles in ancient Maree. In M. Killilea (ed.), A portrait of Maree, 17-27.