What is recorded here

Gallen’s cross-inscribed stone stands beside a river as the last visible fragment of a monastery founded by St. Canoc in 492. Its faces carry a six-petal marigold, circled marks and a small ringed cross, while buried slabs around it waited for digging hands. The abbey rose near that older Christian place, turning a small riverbank community into a long-lived religious site.

National Monument No. 504. Situated on a slight rise with river to the E. The ecclesiastical remains consist of an a medieval church (OF014-029008-), possible abbey church (OF014-029001-), graveyard (OF014-029002-), early Christian cross-slabs (OF014-029003-) and a bullaun stone (OF014-029005-). The Abbey which was built near the site of an Early Christian monastery founded by St. Canoc in 492. Most of the cross-slabs which date from the 8th/11th-centuries (Harbison 1970, 206) came from this excavated area. 200 decorated slabs were discovered during this excavation and are described by Kendrick (1939, 1-20). Recent graveyard clean up scheme in the graveyard (OF014-029002-) uncovered several Early Christian cross-slabs that have been incorporated into the fabric of the graveyard wall. (Cooke 1875, 340-43; Macalister 1908, 323-27; Crawford 1913, 362-5; Crawford 1918, 178; Fanning and O hEailidhe 1980, 17-19) Dimensions: Height 0.63m Width 0.43m Depth 0.18m Gravestone. Roughly oblong in outline. Carved on Faces A and B. Face A bears a triple contoured six petal marigold in false relief enclosed in a triple circumference circle. Contoured petals join the outer tips of the petals. Face B bears the arc of a triple outline circle. Two deep indentations suggest a petalled design. Below it are incised circles, three with petal or maltese cross design, one divided into six equal segments by straight lines. One is very small. ____ On the upper surface now exposed is incised a small linear ringed cross, with expanded terminals. The base- a high semi-circle containing some design I could not decipher. Description from Inventory of Carved Stone, National Monuments Service Archive. Kendrick 1939, 18 pl. vi (Fig 1) A045. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload/revision: 17 August 2012

Probably dating to the early medieval period, this cross-inscribed stone may have had a Christian religious function, possibly as a memorial or waymarker. Its location near ecclesiastical remains suggests a connection to a monastic or burial site.

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