Cross - Wayside cross

The National Monuments Service's description

Marked on the Strafford map of c. 1636 at the W boundary of Onnagh (Simington 1949, Athlone (120)), and situated at the SW foot of Sheep Hill. This is a limestone cross facing N and S (total H 1.75m) with a solid ring which has decoration in false relief. The S face of the shaft (dims 0.3m x 0.18m; H 1.15m) has and inscription with the date 1623 and several sets of initials. It was read by Crawford (1919a) as: IHS / IK AD / AD 1623 / HT / CRUX / CRISTI / HW / - -, and Siggins (1986b, 35) reads the last unknown letters as D C. The cross is in a drystone-wall enclosure (dims 3.2m E-W; 2.5m N-S), but it is now obscured by thorn bushes. The ring-barrow (RO051-022----) is c. 80m to the NNE. (Crawford 1908a 181-2; 1922b)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

References

Crawford, H.S. 1919a A late cross-slab and cross at Taghmaconnell, Co. Roscommon. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 49, 115.

Crawford, H.S. 1922b Taghmaconnell cross. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 52, 81.

Crawford, H.S. 1908 Miscellanea - Some crosses not mentioned in the list of Irish crosses. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 38, 181-2.

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1949 Books of survey and distribution. County of Roscommon. Dublin. Stationery Office.

Siggins, A. 1986b Some late medieval crosses in county Roscommon. Journal of the County Roscommon Historical and Archaeological Society 1, 33-5.