Decorated stone

The National Monuments Service's description

A monastery at Lemanaghan (Liath Manchán) was founded in the 7th century by Manchán whose feastday is celebrated on the 24th of January (Ó Riain 2011, 429). Early Christian decorated stone erected as a headstone in Lemanaghan graveyard (OF015-004004-) SW of the church (OF015-004003-).
The surface of this stone is decorated with a diagonal key-pattern with interlocking spirals or swirling spirals framed within diamond shaped panels, except for a single diamond in the middle of the stone which contains a maze like pattern. The decoration is similar to the key-pattern found on a decorated stone at Gallen (OF014-029006-) and on a panel of the ninth century Pictish cross-slab from Nigg Church in Ross and Cromarty Scotland. This key-pattern was also used as a decorative border on early Christian illuminated manuscripts. The swirling spirals can also be compared with a ninth century Pictish cross-slab known as the Shandwick Stone also located in the county of Ross and Cromarty, Scotland.
Described by Crawford (1911, 155-6) as ‘a stone which differs entirely from the others, and is not, perhaps, a sepulchral monument at all. It is a thick slab of fine, brown sandstone, 17 inches (0.43m) wide, 8 inches (0.2m) thick, and standing 30 inches (0.76m) above ground. The back is rough and the edges and front squared; the latter being covered entirely by a rectangular panel containing a continuous diagonal key pattern, which goes below the present ground-level. The centres of all the keys are modified into spirals, a procedure of which there are many instances. There is a panel carved with a similar design on the western cross-shaft at Kells, a cast of which is in the National Museum; but there the band is double and the spirals raised to form small bosses. The carving, in fact, resembles a panel from one of the high crosses, and suggests a specimen of work or trial piece more than any thing else. The stone is placed at the head of a modern grave some distance south of the western doorway of the church (OF015-004003-). See attached image of stone taken from Crawford 1911.

To see a 3D model of this decorated-slab, visit https://skfb.ly/owEvZ

Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 28 April 2014

References

Crawford, H.S. 1911 The early slabs at Lemanaghan, King's County. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 41, 151-6.

Ó Riain, P. 2011 A dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin. Four Courts Press.