Cross - Wayside cross (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

The Balrath wayside cross (ME032-010----) was moved from its original position c. 270m to the ENE beside the old Kentstown to Duleek road and is now displayed at the SE angle of the Ballymagarvey graveyard (ME032-009001-). It is a small Celtic cross (H 1.75m; span 0.55m) without a ring which has a Crucifixion (Harbison 2000, 40) on the W face and a Pietá on the E, executed in false relief. (King 1984, 105)

From King (1984, 105): A Celtic / Iona cross without ring, rectangular in section, decorated on all sides in relief, false relief and incision. Set on a rectangular damaged base. Broken in half, it was repaired by the insertion of two iron riveting bars which have caused damage to the S face. There is a small mortice hole in the upper shaft. A raised moulding outlines the figure sculpture on the E and partly on the W face. W: A Crucifixion. Christ is wearing a stylised perizonium with an elaborate knot above the right hip. Above and below there are a series of architectural motifs, a rosette, a bow, two triangles – one enclosing a triquetra – an ogee-arch, a trefoil, a round arch and a rectangular trefoil-headed panel. E: A Pietá. Below are two inscriptions, the upper in contracted Gothic Latin, crudely executed in false relief: ORATE P AIA / JHOANNIS / BROIN. The lower inscription is in incised Roman capitals: SR. ANDREW / AYLMER OF / MOVNTAYLMER / BART. & HIS LADY / CATHRINE / AYLMER HAD / THIS CORSS / BEAUTIFIED / A.D. 1727 / P. RH. SMITH /. N: A deeply incised face in the centre of the arm. The shaft has the Aylmer knot, a rounded arch enclosing lobes, spirals and a triquetra. S: A face in the centre of the arm. The decoration here is of two periods; the Crucifixion and the Pietá are original and it was probably when Andrew Aylmer had the cross beautified in 1727 by H. Smith that the N and S sides of the cross were decorated and the incised motifs were added. A date in the latter part of the 16th century is suggested. Material: limestone. Dims: shaft (0.28m x 0.24m; H 1.76m) span: 0.55m.

See attached view from SE and image of a face from the S arm

Date of upload: 23 January, 2015

References

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

Harbison, P. 2000 The Crucifixion in Irish Art. Blackrock, Columba Press.