Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Graveslab
Durrow Demesne, County Offaly, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Durrow Demesne
- County
- Offaly
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.32569, -7.51946
- SMR number
- OF009-005015-
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
National Monument No. 313. A sixth century monastery was founded at Durrow reputedly by Colum Cille [of the church] who died in 597 and whose feastday is celebrated on the 9th of June (Ó Riain 2011, 213-14). Coffin-shaped graveslab (H 1.08m; Wth 0.59m; T 0.18m) dating from the 12th-15th centuries that was built into the E face of the W wall of the graveyard (OF009-005009-) at Durrow. This graveslab has been moved into the disused C of I church (OF009-005013-) where it has been mounted on the S wall of the church. The church has been recently restored by the OPW and now houses the Durrow high cross (OF009-005010-) and some of the cross-slabs (OF009-005016-) that were located in the surrounding graveyard (OF009-005009-). Graveslab described by Crawford (1913, 263) as 'the lower portion of a tapered slab of sandstone 3 ft. 4in. (1.01m) by 1 ft. 10 in. (0.55m) bearing a cross formed of two bands, which fork and interlace in the arms and are joined to the two bands which form the enclosing panel. The bands are mitred at the centre and interlaced with a ring. There is a partially effaced inscription in three lines in the upper sinister corner'. Durrow (a) in Crawfords catalogue of cross-slabs at Durrow. This slab was recorded by Macalister in 1949 when he described it as consisting of a 'slab, top broken, bearing a Latin cross with a circle surrounding the centre: partly decorated with interlacement. Inscription in three lines in the upper sinister canton, undeciphered. This slab is here mentioned lest it should seem to have been omitted, but it is actually of the 16th century' (Macalister 1949, 42).
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 23 April 2014
References
Ó Riain, P. 2011 A dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin. Four Courts Press.
Crawford, H.S. 1913 A descriptive list of early cross-slabs and pillars. (cont.) Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 43, 151-69, 261-5, 326-34.
Macalister, R.A.S. 1949 Corpus Inscriptionum Insularum Celticarum, 2 vols. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.
Nearby in the register
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.