Cross-slab

The National Monuments Service's description

On raised ground at the base of a hill which rises to the S-SE, in rolling pasture overlooking a broad plain from NW-N. The cross-slab is ying in the S portion of the graveyard c. 12.5m NNW of the ruinous C of I church. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 4, 311-2) a monastery here was founded by St. Gobán Fionn early in the 7th century whose feast day is celebrated on the 6th of December. In the Annals of the Four Masters the obit of an abbot, Domhnall son of Niall is given in 1004 (Edwards 1990, 41). Of the monastic site only a high cross (KK030-008004-), two cross-slabs (KK030-008005-; KK030-008011-), a stone cross (KK030-008013-), the remains of a church (KK030-008003-) and two bullaun stones (KK030-008006-; KK030-008008-) are currently visible at the location.
Identified and described by Manning (1982, 378-9), this is a rectangular sandstone slab (dims. 1.28m x 0.49m; T 0.14m) decorated with an incised single line Latin cross with cross-let at the base, which is accentuated by two roughly parallel lines following the shape of the cross. The whole is framed within a roughly rectangular incised line, the lower lines of which curve inwards at the cross base before running vertically to the edge of the slab. A vertical line also runs to the edge of the slab from the base of the cross and another line runs off the curving upper dexter corner of the frame to the edge of the slab, with a line branching out from this which runs to the top edge of the slab. The bottom left hand corner is broken and more recently the slab is completely broken into two, the break being roughly horizontal across the arms of the cross. Manning (ibid.) dates the cross to between the 8th and 12th century. Though less finely executed, it is similar to the inscribed cross-slab (KK030-008005-) currently located near the high cross. Another cross-slab (KK030-008013-) is currently missing, though may still be somewhere within the graveyard.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of revised upload: 3 August 2017

References

Edwards, N. 1990 Some crosses of County Kilkenny. In W. Nolan and K. Whelan (eds) Kilkenny: history and society. Dublin. Geography Publications.

Carrigan, Rev. W. 1905 (Reprint 1981) The history and antiquities of the diocese of Ossory, 4 vols. Kilkenny. Roberts Books and Wellbrook Press.

Manning, C. 1982 Cross-slab at Killamery. Old Kilkenny Review, vol. 2, no. 4, 378-9.