Cross - Market cross (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

A 1710/11 map the town showing a cross towards the E end of the main street, suggests that the original market place was located in this area, S of the main street and probably infilled with a 'Malt House' (KK020-060018-) (White 1710/11). There is a triangular fair green at the W end of the town which Thomas (1992, vol. 2, 115) suggests may have originally been outside the town but which was incorporated as a result of an expansion westward. The cross indicated on the White map was probably the market cross and this appears to have subsequently moved to the fair green which effectively became the market place. Local tradition relates that, ‘the Cromwellians broke the cross down and that the pieces were scattered on the green’ (Drennan 1965, 58). Only the base of the cross survives. It has been placed on a circular concrete plinth on the SW grassy island within the green. It consists of a straight-sided plain block of limestone, square in plan (dims. 0.6m x 0.6m), which tapers towards the top. The top of the base has a rectangular socket (dims. 0.18m x 0.2m; D 0.18m).

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 22 March 2021

References

Thomas, A. 1992 The walled towns of Ireland, 2 vols. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.

White, J. 1710/11 A survey of the towne and lands of Gowrane in the County of Kilkenny belonging to Mr Lewis Chaigneau of Dublin merch[an]t made in the presence of Mr David Chaigneau Mr John Bayly Mr John Sandbeach Sam[ue]l Bingham James Quigly and Mr James White the surveyor; and the said lands contain arable pasture and meadow one thousand two hundred ninety seven acres thirty five perches plantation measure over and above all deductions for intermixt lands and common high roads as appeareth by a table of reference hereunto. Surveyed in the month of March 1710/11 by a scale of 20 p[er]chs. Ja: White. NLI MS map 21.F.55 (4).

Drennan, C. 1965 Gowran. Old Kilkenny Review, vol. 17, 59-61.