Cross

The National Monuments Service's description

Recently discovered in a graveyard (WI015-035002-). Three disarticulated carved stone fragments which are likely to be from a single cross: portion of a cross-shaft, a cross-head and a possible cross-base.

A gently splaying, granite, cross shaft fragment, which includes its base, is loosely earthfast and was likely reused as a grave marker (L 52cm; Wth 21cm; T 12cm at base; T 14cm at top). The surviving upper end shows a relatively clean break and the angles of the shaft are slightly rounded. Both sides and one face are plain, while on the opposite face there is a central, linear band (L 31cm; Wth 4cm) which is slightly raised (H 0.5 to 0.8cm) proud of the face. This band stops abruptly at a horizontal ledge that punctuates the bottom of the shaft which would have been inserted in a socket. This portion of the face has been reduced by about 1cm but this reduction does not extend around the sides or across the opposite face.

See attached image: WI015-035003-_1 C. Corlett 11-10-2022

A granite cross head (Wth 52cm; H 42cm; T 14cm) rests on the ground surface. Just below the arms, there is a relatively clean break across the shaft, the dimensions of which (Wth 21.5cm; T 14cm) closely match those of the shaft fragment described above. A low, circular bosse (H 1cm; diam. 7cm) is carved between the cross arms and there appears to be a raised ridge extending vertically below the bosse, but it is quite weathered and poorly defined. On the opposite face, the crudely incised letters ‘gD’ are carved in the upper arm and the year ‘1712’ across the transverse arms (with a gap between ‘17’ and ‘12’ at the centre of the cross arms). This carving is clearly secondary and probably indicates reuse as a grave marked at the beginning of the 18th century.

See attached images: WI015-035003-_2 and WI015-035003-_3 C. Corlett 11-10-2022

A possible cross base survives as a badly damaged, partly earthfast, rectangular granite block (L 50cm; Wth 26cm; H 33cm). Only one side along with a short return of one end of the socket (D 23cm) it contains survives. While the opposite end is missing, a scar-line where the side has broken away suggests that the socket was c. 21cm in width. The surviving socket-side is straight-sided and the bottom of the socket is flat suggesting it is the remains of a cross base. There is no trace of decoration on the external sides, which are quite rounded and only crudely shaped.

See attached images: WI015-035003-_4 and WI015-035003-_5 C. Corlett 11-10-2022

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 15 November 2022