Cross-slab (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

This cross-slab was recently rediscovered acting as a covering to a drain in the Christian Brothers school in Dingle. An old photograph (1926) of the stone bore the caption 'found in area Ballyferriter near Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland' but nothing more is known of its original provenance. The stone is an irregular slab of sandstone measuring .63m in length x .35m in width x .09m in thickness. The decoration occupies one face of the stone only and consists of a plain cross within an irregular circle, the arms and head of the cross projecting slightly beyond the circle. The stem of the cross continues down the face of the stone as a slightly curved line and forks at base to form a triangular terminal, within which is a 2nd triangle and in the centre a small dot. The triangular expansion mid-way along the stem is probably due to spalling of the stone's surface. A perfect circle is inscribed directly below the cross-in-circle, on its left side, and there are traces of a 2nd circle in the top right corner of the stone. Two letters, d and possibly p, are vaguely discernible to left of the stem of the cross.
This cross-slab is now in Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne, Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, Co. Chiarraí (pers. comm. Isabel Bennett, 2006).

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage (compiler) 'Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey.' Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne (1986), no. 823. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 30 May 2013