Cross - High cross

The National Monuments Service's description

Monastery founded by St. Kieran the elder in the fifth century (ITA Survey 1943). Small freestanding ringed-cross of sandstone that was lying in the graveyard close to the base of the high cross (Gilling 1937, 294-5). Now housed inside the C of I church.
Cross described by Harbison (1992, vol. 1, 167) as following: 'Near the door of the church there is a small sandstone cross with imperforate ring, and a tenon at the bottom of the shaft. It is 52cm high, 33 cm across the arms and 9 cm thick. Each face has one large boss at the centre, and smaller ones on the arms and shaft. On the shaft there is a hole on one side and a small sunken circle on the other'.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien.

Date of upload: 23 May 2011

References

Gilling, F.H. 1937 Ancient sculptured cross base at Seir-Kieran, Offaly. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 67, 294-5.

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

Irish Tourist Association. Surveys undertaken in the 1940s for the Irish Tourist Association (now Fáilte Ireland) relating to ‘Natural features, antiquities, historic associations etc.' Extracts from these surveys were copied into the Topographical files of the Office of Public Works and these have been incorporated into the Sites and Monuments Record files (National Monuments Service).