Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Cross-slab (present location)
Baronstown Demesne, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Baronstown Demesne
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.60310, -7.51524
- SMR number
- WM011-040007-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Kilbixy or Ceall Bhigsighe was founded by St Bigseach who was connected to St. Brigid of Kildare (Ó Riain 2011, 106). Early Christian cross-inscribed stone consisting of an incomplete sandstone slab (H 0.78m x Wth 0.45m x T 0.09m) decorated with an incised or pocked marked triple line cross with triangular-shaped terminals framing broad interlaced ribbons. The lower terminal of the cross is missing as this part of the slab is broken. Cross-inscribed slab found by local parishioner in Kilbixy graveyard (WM011-04005-) and now mounted onto the internal face of the S wall located off centre to E inside the C of I church at Kilbixy. This type of expansional cross with ribbon interlaced terminals may date from the 10th/11th century based on comparisons with comparable slabs bearing inscriptions (Lionard 1960-1, 131-6).
To see a 3D model of the cross-slab visit https://skfb.ly/oF7Qp
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 22 June 2018
References
Ó Riain, P. 2011 A dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin. Four Courts Press.
Lionard, P. 1961 Early Irish grave-slabs. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 61C, 95-161.
Nearby in the register
- Architectural fragmentunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.