Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Cross-slab
Gallen, County Offaly, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Gallen
- County
- Offaly
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.26272, -7.82328
- SMR number
- OF014-029152-
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
Possible 8th-century cross-slab (dims. L 0.54m x H 0.35m x T 0.05m) with a four-lined cross-of-arcs (int. diam. 0.27m; ext. diam. 0.36m), also forming a cross pattée design, with small central hollow (diam. 0.025m) contained within a triple circle recently discovered from Gallen graveyard (OF014-029002-). The cross-of-arcs design may be based on the cross surrounded by a wreath, or on the XP monogram contained within a circle. The largest collection of this type of cross-slab comes from Gallen of which 8 were previously recorded (Lionard 1961, 112). Gallen abbey (OF014-029001-) stands in the centre of this graveyard that was built near the site of an Early Christian monastery (OF014-029008-) founded by St. Canoc in 492 AD. A group of early Christian cross-slabs (OF014-029003-) dating from the 8th/11th-centuries were uncovered along with the site of an early medieval church (OF014-029008-) during excavations in 1934-5 in a field to the north of the graveyard (Kendrick 1935). The cross-slab has been moved to the National Museum of Ireland for safe storage (NMS Reg. No. 2022:118).
To see a 3D model of this cross-slab, visit; https://skfb.ly/oxsXI
Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien
Date of upload: 24 August 2022
References
Lionard, P. 1961 Early Irish grave-slabs. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 61C, 95-161.
Kendrick, T.D. 1939 Gallen priory: excavations 1934-5. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 69, 1-20.
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Ritual site - holy tree/bushunder 1 mi
- Religious house - Augustinian canonsunder 1 mi
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.