Sundial

The National Monuments Service's description

Noted during a clean-up in the graveyard (WA021-019004-) of St. Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore (WA021-019003-), lying on the ground S of the cathedral. The origins of the cathedral date back to the 12th century, though most of the surviving fabric probably dates to the 17th century, when it was largely rebuilt. The sundial is incised on the upper end of a thin slab of sedimentary stone. The upper surface is badly fractured and spalled. The sundial appears to have been semi-circular with a hole for the gnomon half way along the top horizontal line. Seven incised lines radiate from this point dividing the sinister quarter (half of the semi-circle) into six roughly equal segments. Of the dexter quarter only about half of it survives, with no incised lines. However, the remaining portion appears to have broken off along a fairly clean straight break, suggesting that it may have split along an incised radius.

See attached photograph by Bernice Kelly (taken 18 October 2020).

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 2 November 2020