Cross

Now in the sacristy of the R.C. church in the village of Abbeyshrule, this high cross was originally located in the burial ground (LF023-113002-) c. 70m to the NE of the Cistercian abbey (LF023-113----). Crawford (1924, 171) recorded that the shaft of the cross was broken off above the socket and was loose in the graveyard; the arms were missing. Described by Harbison (1992, vol. 1, 9) as an armless sandstone cross (H 0. 97m; max. Wth 0.27m; T 0.1m) with a thistle-shaped head. There is a possible ringed cross at the centre of the E face. The shaft of the W face is decorated with interlace, and on the head there is a central round boss enclosed by two roll mouldings. Decoration on the sides includes vertical ribs in false relief and a meander pattern. Similar crosses are found at Laughanstown (DU026-023003-), county Dublin, Layd, county Antrim and Kildalton on the island of Islay in Scotland (Crawford 1907, 190; 1924, 171). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 6 June 2013