Cross - Market cross

The National Monuments Service's description

The remains of a wayside cross (WM008-097001-) of possible 17th century date appears to have been taken from the nearby graveyard (WM008-097014-) and inserted into the socket of an earlier cross, possibly the market cross of the village of Fore. Depicted as ‘Cross’ on the 1910 ed. OS 25-inch map where it is shown standing in a triangular-shaped green in the village of Fore, Co. Westmeath. In 1928 the wayside cross and its base was described by Crawford as consisting of the 'head and upper part of the shaft of a cross with a solid recessed ring; set in a large socket stone with inclined sides. The cross is 2ft. 3in. (0.68m) in height above the socket, and has a crucifixion carved on the front; the figure has the arms placed horizontally and the feet crossed. Some years ago the cross lay in the graveyard (WM008-097014-) at St. Mary's Church (WM008-097002-), but it has recently been fixed in the socket in the village street' (Crawford 1928, 62). The wayside cross and its base were described in 1980 as consisting of a 'small stone solid-ring cross (WM008-097016-) set in a base erected in the small triangular green in Fore village. The base (dims. Wth. 0.71m x H 0.4m) is a large roughly rectangular-shaped block of what seems to be a conglomerate stone. The socket (dims. 0.27m x 0.34m) appears to be much larger than the shaft (Wth 0.22m; T 0.15m) of the cross but it is now filled with concrete' (SMR file). According to the SMR file this wayside cross (WM008-097016-) was 'set into a large socket stone which was probably made orginally for another larger cross. It is possible that the present base of the wayside cross may have been the base of a market cross which stood in the triangular shaped green. The shaft and upper portion of this possible market cross have since disappeared and were replaced by the present cross in the early 1900s. The base of this cross may have belonged to a market cross that was described in the OS Name Books dating from 1875. The OS described the cross in 1875 as consisting of an 'ancient stone cross, which is now in a dilapidated state, only a portion of it remaining. The cross was formerly in the centre of the market place when this was a borough town having a weekly market and faires?' (OS Name Book 1875, 1).

See attached image (WM008-097016-_01.jpeg) of wayside cross and base of possible market cross taken from Crawford 1928.

Compiled and updated by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 14 April 2015

References

Crawford, H. S. 1928 List of the Wayside Crosses near Fore, County Westmeath. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 58, 57-62.