Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Cairn - unclassified
Clonmacnoise, County Offaly, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Clonmacnoise
- County
- Offaly
- Country
- Ireland
- Latest-edition OS map
- Carn of the Three Crosses
- Coordinates
- 53.32788, -7.98079
- SMR number
- OF005-028001-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
On top of a natural esker ridge running NE-SW in undulating countryside. Marked as the 'Carn of the Three Crosses' this is the site of a square shaped flat topped cairn (H 0.5m; 3.6m E-W; 3.2m N-S ) delimited by a series of upright kerb stones set on edge. There are 3 wooden crosses inserted on the top of the cairn. An Early Christian grave-slab with inscription which reads 'Oroit ar Thurcain lasandernad in chrossa' was found at the base of this cairn in the early 1900'3 (OPW 1906-7). There are two broken ringed crosses of 19th-century date in the cairn material. The esker is the Pilgrims Road used in early Christian times as a Roadway to Clonmacnoise and connects the Nun's Chapel (OF005-029001-) to the Cathedral (OF005-004001-).
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
Nearby in the register
- Graveslabunder 1 mi
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
- Bullaun stoneunder 1 mi
- Buildingunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.