Cross

The National Monuments Service's description

Described as a cross in gothic script on the 1839 ed of the OS 6-inch map, and as a Cross on the site of a Cross on the 1940 ed. It is located at the crest of a W-facing slope, and it is also in the fair green of the Irishtown of New Ross at a point where the ENE-WSW road widens (Wth c. 40m) and where fairs were held. It is also facing the entrance to Mountgarrett Lane which leads N to Mountgarrett tower house (WX013-009001-). It is probably one of the 'small crosses' of Ross recorded in 1621 (Hore 1900-11, vol. 1, 131, fn). The location was remembered in 1940 as a cairn with a single stone rising from the centre (OSFM). In 1880 the town Commissioners consolidated the cairn into a pyramid (dims 3.8m NNW-SSE; 3.5m ENE-WSW; H 2.2m) on a rectangular plinth (dims 4.5m NNW-SSE; 4.2m ENE-WSW; H 0.45-0.75m). It is now supporting a Celtic cross.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 23 November, 2012

References

OSFM. Ordnance Survey Field Memorandums. A collection of survey notes and descriptions of monuments on pro-forma sheets compiled by Ordnance Survey field staff in the course of the 1:2500 map revision of various counties, mostly dating from 1931 – early 1960s. These unpublished manuscripts form part of the records of the Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service Archive, Dublin.

Hore, P.H. 1900-1911 (Reprint 1979) History of the town and county of Wexford, 6 vols. Dublin. Published by arrangement with W.A. Hennessy Esq.