Cross-inscribed pillar

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in the interior of an enclosure (SL002-014004-), adjacent to a holy well (SL002-014001-).
This cross-inscribed pillar consists of a roughly rectangular sandstone block (H 0.85m; Wth 0.28m; T 0.17m at base). The outline of a Latin cross (H 0.46m; Wth across arms 0.18m) is incised on one smooth broad face of the stone, occupying over half the available space on the stone surface. At the junction of the arms and the shaft, there is a central circle (diam. 0.025m) defined by an incised line and enclosed by two outer incised rings (outer diam. 0.075m). The short arms extend 0.05m on either side of the concentric circles, and their engraved outline each encloses a square panel filled with two incised diagonal crossed lines or ‘X’. Each ‘X’ fills the entire available space, from corner to corner of its panel. This ‘X’ motif is also found on the long, lower portion of the shaft (H 0.28m; Wth 0.10-0.12m) which is divided by incised transverse lines into three panels. The uppermost, smallest panel is blank. Below that is a larger, rectangular panel within which there are two incised ‘X’s, one above the other. The upper ‘X’ is larger and more elongated than the lower one. The third and lowermost panel is roughly square and is also filled with an ‘X’. The short portion of the shaft, which extends above the junction with the arms, consists of a roughly square panel (H 0.05m; Wth 0.05m) containing an incised swastika (max. dim. c. 0.035m). An incised line, describing a semicircle (H 0.085m; Wth 0.1m), arcs over the top of the cross shaft. A drawing of the cross published by Wakeman (1880, 376) shows that each terminal of this incised arch curled into a spiral. These spirals are no longer clearly visible. Lichen covers much of the stone surface.

Attached images:
SL002-014003-_01.JPG Cross-slab viewed from E
SL002-014003-_02.JPG Cross-slab viewed from E

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 3 February 2015

References

Wakeman, W. F. 1880 On certain wells situated in the north-west of Ireland; with remarks on the occurrence of the croix grammée or swastika, as found at St. Brigit's Well near Cliffony, Co. Sligo. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 15, 365-384.