Font (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

The highly decorated Apostle font (H 0.99m) from Crickstown church (ME039-008----) is now in the Roman Catholic church at Curraha (ME039-005----), c. 600m to the NW, and it has been fully described by Roe (1968, 37-45). It is carved in relief but is now covered in a white wash that obscures some detail. The octagonal font (ext. dim. 0.65m; H 0.42m) has a circular basin (int. diam. 0.49m; D 0.27m) with shallow under-panels that are decorated with monstrous heads at the angles separated by leaves. The Crucifixion (Harbison 2000, 35) and the Annunciation are depicted in opposite upper panels, the others being divided into two sections with a full-length figure of an apostle in each compartment. The figures on the shaft (H 0.34m) include St Catherine of Alexandria beneath the Crucifixion and, moving anti-clockwise, St Margaret of Antioch, an abbess, an archbishop and a tonsured abbot with a crozier. These three can be tentatively identified as SS Bridget, Patrick and Columcille, the leading saints of the Irish Church. Next is St John the Baptist, identified by his two-pronged beard, St Michael with a shield, triumphing over Satan as a dragon, and a bishop with mitre and crozier. The base (H 0.23m) is slightly concave and expanding outwards. It is decorated with some fabulous animals connected by a moulding.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload/revision: 24 March, 2015

References

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

Roe, H.M. 1968 Medieval fonts of Meath. Meath Archaeological and Historical Society.