Cross - High cross

The National Monuments Service's description

Traditionally referred to as 'St Patrick's Cross'. Housed in the vaulted undercroft of the college of the Vicars Choral (TS061-025005-) where it was moved in 1981 from its former position, now occupied by a replica, c. 10m N of this building and c. 10m SW of the W angle of the S transept of the cathedral (TS061-025003-). An excavation at this location revealed that this is not the original position of the high cross (Lynch 1983, 15-16). Stalley (1985, 8-10) suggests that this 12th century cross is likely to have stood a distance of approx. 10m in front of the N portal of the Romanesque chapel (TS061-025001-) and had to be moved when the 13th-century cathedral was erected. The cross (H 2.42m) was hewn from a single piece of sandstone and is decorated on the W face with a depiction of Christ crucified while the E face displays a panel of interlaced beasts. It is unusual in that the arms of the cross were supported on stone uprights, one on either side, of which only one survives. The base (dims. 1.45m x 1.15m; H 1.22m) into which the cross is tenonned was also decorated . Although it is badly eroded, a rectangular panel with irregular interlace and two bird-like creatures at the top is discernible on the E face, a Greek cross within a pattern of T-shapes, L-shapes and squares on the S face and a pattern of approx. 16 concentric circles is visible on the N side with an animal at the centre, interpreted by Harbison (1998, 107-111) as a Minotaur at the centre of a labyrinth (Leask 1951, 14-18; Harbison 1992, 34-5). There is no discernible decoration on the W face, this may be due to erosion.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 26 August 2011

References

Leask, H. G. 1951 St. Patrick's Cross, Cashel: an enquiry into its original form. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 81, 14-18.

Lynch, A. 1983 Excavations at the base of St. Patrick's Cross, Cashel. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 25, 9-18.

Stalley, R. 1985 The original site of St. Patrick's Cross, Cashel. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 27, 8-10.

Harbison, P. 1998 A labyrinth on the twelfth-century high cross base on the Rock of Cashel, Co. Tipperary. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 128, 107-11.

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