What is recorded here

Number 44 leans askew beside a lintelled grave in Dunquin, the westernmost Christian graveyard in Europe. Carved from local green siltstone, it remains partially buried and tilted rather than standing proud. That much is known. What is not known is whether it marked one life, several lives or a boundary the living stopped observing. The sea has had centuries to erase the answer, yet the cross still protrudes, refusing to be swallowed or forgotten.

In 2010 a graveyard survey carried out by Laurence Dunne recorded the following details about a stone cross No. 44: 'Dunquin Church [KE052-014001-] and Graveyard [KE052-014002-] is situated on the westernmost tip of the Dingle Peninsula, indeed the most western point of the landmass of Europe and consequently the most western Christian church and graveyard in Europe. It is 8.5km west from the village of Ventry and 15.25km from Dingle. There were four cross slabs recorded in Dunquin in the course of this survey, two of which were recorded in the Dingle Archaeological Survey as ‘...2 grave-markers in the form of rough stone crosses’ (Cuppage 1984, 366). The two stones correspond with crosses 180 and 184 in this survey. A third similar roughly hewn anthropomorphic type cross (44) of local green siltstone was also recorded partially exposed and askew, abutting a lintelled grave in the interior of the graveyard' (Dunne 2010, 12). See attached plan and photograph courtesy of Laurence Dunne. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 30 June 2022

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