Cross-inscribed pillar

The National Monuments Service's description

This is one of four cross-slabs (see also GA110-023021-, GA110-023022- and GA110-023023-) now associated with St Brecan’s Grave (GA110-023009-); it is the northernmost example. It is a large tall rectangular slab (H 1.34m; Wth 0.49m; T 0.18m) bearing an incised two-line ringed Latin cross with a circular centre and roughly T-shaped terminals. Below this a second transom on the shaft ends with circular terminals. The shaft itself rises from a base that is very similar to that on the cross-inscribed pillar (GA110-023021-) to its S. An almost illegible inscription runs just underneath the ringed cross. Petrie read it as CRONMAEL or CRONMAOL (Waddell 1973, 21, no. 14) but Higgins (1987, vol. 2, 363, no. 85) suggests it reads CRONMAOIL or possibly CRONMAOIN.

Compiled by: Olive Alcock

Date of upload: 9 March 2016

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.

Waddell, J. 1973 An archaeological survey of Temple Brecan, Aran. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 33, 5-27.