Cross - Wayside cross (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

Now on display in the Meath County Library in Navan, This cross once stood beside an old SE-NW road from Navan to Rathaldron Castle (ME025-011----) that fell out of use (Moore 1899). The highly decorated cross shaft (dims 0.24m x 0.19m; H 1.26m) had stood on a plain base (dims 0.74m x 0.7m; H 0.22m) and had been set up in 1588 by Margaret Dexter and her Cusack husband, according to its inscription (Wilde 1850 133-4; Crawford 1920; King 1984, 110). Excavation in 1977 revealed a plinth of two steps made from cut limestone blocks (dims of base 2.5m x 2.5m). The remains of 8 infants and young children were recovered in the vicinity, confirming local traditions of its use as a Childrens Burial Ground (ME025-059----) (Cahill 1987-8). The cross has been described by King as:
A shaft fragment rectangular in section set in an undecorated rectangular base. The shaft has rounded edges, an inscription, floral motifs and an heraldic shield in false relief. 1st: The lower part of a shield with the Cusack (per pale or and azure a fess counterchanged) and Dexter (argent a cross fleury gules between four parrots vert) arms impaled and the letters M.C. M.D. 2nd: An inscription in contracted Gothic Latin. [C]USA / ARMIG / ER I ET / MARGA[R] / RETAE DE / XTER UX / ORIS EJU /S AC HE / REDU EO / RM QUE/ HANC C/RUC FECE / RUT A. . /DNI 1588 / QUORU / ANIMA / BUS P[RO/PICIET] U [R / DEUS]. 3rd: Has a stiff undulate band of eight tulips. 4th: Has a vertebrate band of seven tulips growing from a vase.
The date and patrons of this cross are evident from the inscription: ‘Cusack Knight and Margaret Dexter his wife and their heirs who had this cross made A.D. 1588 on whose souls may God have mercy.’

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 16 April, 2015

References

King, H. 1984 Late medieval crosses in County Meath. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 84C, 79-115.

Wilde, W. 1850 The beauties of the Boyne and its tributary, the Blackwater (2nd ed). Dublin. McGlashan.

Crawford, H. S. 1920 Nevinstown cross, near Navan. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 50, 64-5.

Moore, J. H. 1899 Nevinstown. Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland, 1, 1, 223.

Cahill, M. 1987-8 Nevinstown: various. Journal of Irish Archaeology, 4, 76.