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Cross in Sceilg Mhichíl

Cross

What is recorded here

One tall cross still stands in Sceilg Mhichíl, the largest on the Monks' Graveyard, its rounded head and short arms catching light like a forgotten gesture. It rises a metre high, half a metre wide, and nine centimetres thick, substantial enough to have marked prayer, mourning or identity. However many hands held that stone, the largest cross on the graveyard still touches the sky.
Cross described in 1996 as follows; 'This tall stone cross features a rounded head and is the largest example on the Monks' Graveyard [KE104A001046-]. H: 1m W: 0.52m T: 0.09m' (O'Sullivan and Sheehan 1996, 289, no. 948 (58)). The cross features short arms with rounded angles. See attached drawing of cross taken from The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996) Fig. 180. The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 948. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 10 March 2022
A high cross in Sceilg Mhichíl, built by early Christian monks, dates to the 7th–9th century. It is associated with the monastic settlement and reflects the Hiberno-Celtic style, significant as part of a rare surviving monastic complex on a remote island.

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What survives
Recorded monument

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