What is recorded here

Inside the south wall of the Ratoath graveyard, a late medieval latin cross stands reconstructed from scattered pieces by Fr. Peter Mulvany. Its octagonal shaft and arms rise from a hammer-dressed block, bearing no inscription yet holding the ghost of a missing market cross. The stone lacks one piece beneath the crux, but its clean lines and sturdy base suggest it once marked trade as much as prayer.

This cross is situated inside the S wall of the old graveyard attached to the site of the medieval church of Ratoath (ME044-034003-). It was reconstructed under the direction of Fr. Peter Mulvany, who was a curate at Ratoath (1970-83), from pieces in the graveyard (Ratoath Heritage 2008, 56). The reconstruction is accurate, although a piece might be missing from beneath the crux. It is a late medieval latin cross (H 1.49m; span 0.44m) with octagonal cross-sections on the shaft (dims 0.22m x 0.2m) and the arms (H 0.25m; Wth 0.2m). There is a mortice on top of the stem and pyramidal stops at its base which is set into a rectangular block (dims 0.65m x 0.62m; H 0.2m) with a hammer-dressed finish. The cross has no inscription but it is possible that it is the Market Cross (ME044-034008-) which has been missing for almost 200 years. See attached image. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 7 April, 2015 Amended: 9 December 2021

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