Inscribed slab

The National Monuments Service's description

In Visitor Centre on wall (30 August 2005). According to Macalister (1949, 81) this sandstone slab measuring 1.63m x 0.67m x 0.1m was `found in the course of repairs at the Refert Church and now preserved for safe-keeping in St Kevin's Church'. Described by Leask (1950, 44) as 'The Breasal Slab. This rectangular slab (1, Fig. 20) was found at Reefert Church in 1875. It measures 5 feet 5 inches [1.65m] by 3 feet 3 inches [1m] is carved shallowly with a cross having expanded centre and terminals within a frame. At the upper and lower extremities the expansions are filled with triquetras, while at the sides the two bands which form the cross are looped triquetra-fashion. The inscription "Or do bresal" —a prayer for Breasal—is incised lengthways on one side of the cross and on the other are the Greek letters alpha and omega followed by IHS and XPS—the Christos monogram—with an Irish P'.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 20 December 2012

See linked document with drawing of slab taken from Robert Cochrane Historical and Descriptive Notes with Ground Plans, Elevations, Sections and Details of the Ecclesiastical Remains at Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. Extract from the Eightieth Annual Report of the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland 1911-12. Dublin, 1925.

References

Leask, H.G. 1950 Glendalough, Co. Wicklow: national monuments vested in the Commissioners of Public Works. Dublin. Stationery Office.

Macalister, R.A.S. 1949 Corpus Inscriptionum Insularum Celticarum, 2 vols. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.