Cross

The National Monuments Service's description

The Ordnance Survey Letters of 1838 mention a burial ground where it is referred to as 'Carricknagross grave yard' (O'Flanagan 1927, 105). Stone cross located in SW quadrant of this burial ground (WI016-014----). 'Cornagrus graveyard' recorded in 1943 by Liam Price who described the monument as following; 'A bank of large stones or boulders and earth surrounds a space about 32yds in diameter. Inside all that is to be seen is a number of boulders and stones, many of them covered by moss, but in one place there is a cut-stone cross (approx. dims. H 12 ins. [0.3m]; Wth 6 ins. [0.15m]). It is in two pieces; I don't know if they were originally joined and have been broken, or not, but by putting the cross-head on the pillar it makes quite a good cross. The pillar is standing in the earth; it can be shaken, so is not deep, but I did not dig to the bottom of it. There is no sign of carving on it. It is in the SW part of the enclosure. It is at the end of some stones which have roughly the shape of a grave, but this might be accidental. Burke said that people say a priest was buried there' (Corlett and Weaver 2002, 507-08). The dry-stone wall forms a cashel-like enclosure (WI016-014----) which along with the stone cross located inside may suggest a possible ecclesiastical enclosure.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by Barry Dalby.

Date of upload: 20 March 2017

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1928 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Wicklow collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1838. Bray.

Corlett, C. and Weaver, M. (eds) 2002 The Price Notebooks. 2 vols. Dúchas the Heritage Service. Dublin.