Cross - High cross

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument No. 81. Portion of a high cross described by Hicks as the West shaft (Hicks 1980, 6-15). Now on display in the Clonmacnoise Interpretative Centre.

Described by Harbison (1992 vol. 1, 56-7) as following; 'a 'pillar' which could originally have formed part of a cross, although there is no trace of a mortise or tenon to suggest that another fragmet stood on top of it. As one face is undecorated, it may have been designed to be placed up against a wall. The pillar was broken near the bottom about twenty years ago. There is a rounded moulding at the edges, and the panels of decoration are framed by a raised moulding. It is 92cm high, 37cm wide and 19cm thick.

EAST SIDE
A badly-damaged panel of interlace.

SOUTH FACE
A single panel of four sections. On the bottom there is a lion walking towards the right, and with a backward turning head biting its own tail. Above it is a horseman, facing left. The third section has a lion, with foliate tail, prancing towards the right but turning its head backwards and biting the right front leg of a lion above it, which forms the fourth part of the panel. The lion has a florid tail like the one below it, and faces right at the top of the panel.

WEST SIDE
A panel of damaged interlace.

NORTH FACE
Undecorated'.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 23 May 2011

References

Hicks, C. 1980 A Clonmacnoise workshop in stone. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 110, 5-35.

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