Cross - High cross (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

Now in the sacristy of the R.C. church in the village of Abbeyshrule, this high cross was originally located in the burial ground (LF023-113002-) c. 70m to the NE of the Cistercian abbey (LF023-113----). Crawford (1924, 171) recorded that the shaft of the cross was broken off above the socket and was loose in the graveyard; the arms were missing.
Described by Harbison (1992, vol. 1, 9) as an armless sandstone cross (H 0. 97m; max. Wth 0.27m; T 0.1m) with a thistle-shaped head. There is a possible ringed cross at the centre of the E face. The shaft of the W face is decorated with interlace, and on the head there is a central round boss enclosed by two roll mouldings. Decoration on the sides includes vertical ribs in false relief and a meander pattern. Similar crosses are found at Laughanstown (DU026-023003-), county Dublin, Layd, county Antrim and Kildalton on the island of Islay in Scotland (Crawford 1907, 190; 1924, 171).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 6 June 2013

References

Harbison, P. 1992 The high crosses of Ireland: an iconographical and photographic survey, 3 vols. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy. Bonn. Dr. Rudolf Habelt GMBH.

Crawford, H.S. 1924 Cross at Abbeyshrule, County Longford. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 54, 171.

Crawford, H.S. 1907 A descriptive list of early Irish crosses. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 37, 187-239; 43, 151-69, 261-65, 326-34.