Cross-slab in Athlone

In 1910 Macalister (1912, 28) recorded the remains of a broken cross slab which consisted of two fragments 'lying in the garden of the Rectory, behind St. Mary's C of I church. One resembles the Suibhne group of slabs at Clonmacnois, dating from the beginning of the ninth century, and very possibly belongs to them, though the two letters of inscription that survive do not correspond with any of the known lost slabs of that group. The other has a cross in a circle, all covered with elaborate interlacements' (Macalister 1912, 28). Macalister speculated that this cross-slab originally came from the monastery of Clonmacnoise. However it is possible that this cross-slab originally came from the graveyard (WM029-042092-) of the Franciscan friary (WM029-042001-) where four other cross-slabs have been discovered. The current location of this cross-slab is unknown (Fanning and Ó hÉailidhe 1980, 11). See attached pdf file showing rubbing of cross-slab taken from Macalister 1912. See attached jpeg file showing drawing of cross-slab taken from Fanning and Ó hÉailidhe 1980. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 31 October 2013