Cross - High cross

The National Monuments Service's description

The Crosses at Monasterboice have been described in some detail by Roe (1981) and Harbison (1992) with full references. Two crosses remain complete (the South: LH021-062007- and West: LH021-062008-), while there is also the head and part of the shaft of a third (North Cross: LH021-062009-), now re-erected on a partly modern shaft. Two other cross fragments (LH021-062020-; LH021-062021-) were found while grave-digging and are stored in the National Museum of Ireland (Lucas 1973, 198). One is the arm of a cross, badly damaged and worn, and the other is possibly the head of a similar cross. Both are of sandstone and appear to be from crosses of the same proportions (Roe 1981, 67-9). Roe (ibid. 15) states that the wealth and variety of the pictorial illustrations on the South and West Crosses are unparalleled elsewhere in Ireland.

The North Cross is of sandstone and has only the upper part of the shaft and a ringed-cross head remaining. It is sparsely decorated and has a crucifixion scene on the W face. ]

This is a National Monument, in state ownership: No. 94.

The above description is derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Revised by: Con Manning

Date of upload: 11 May 2016

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.

Roe, H.M. 1981 Monasterboice and its monuments. Dundalk. County Louth Archaeological and Historical Society.

Lucas, A.T. 1973 National Museum of Ireland: archaeological acquisitions in the year 1969. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 103, 177-213.