What is recorded here

An early medieval cross-slab stands upright beside the shrine traditionally known as St. Cummin’s grave in Ballinlena, its west face marked by four circled crosses cut with steady symmetry. The largest is a forked Greek cross inside an ovoid ring, while three smaller Maltese crosses share the stone, all blurred now by lichen but still distinct enough to read. It probably dates from the seventh to ninth century, when someone shaped plain rock into a boundary of sacred geometry and left it facing the western sky.

Located in the N half of a graveyard (MA008-0060007-), on the W side of a shrine (MA008-006002-), traditionally known as St. Cummin’s grave. This early medieval cross-slab is set upright in the ground in a row of seven upright stones which border the W side of the shrine. It consists of a roughly rectangular slab (H 0.62m; L 0.38m N–S; T 0.12m) on the broad W face of which there are four crosses each enclosed within a circle, all outlined by incised grooves. The design is symmetrically executed, with three small crosses flanking a central large cross. The largest cross is roughly centrally placed on the slab. It consists of a single line Greek cross (H 0.18m; Wth 0.15m) with forked terminals, framed by an outer line which follows the cross shape; the whole is enclosed within a single-line circle. There is a small circular dimple or depression in each of the four quadrants of the circle flanking the arms of the cross. The enclosing circle (H 0.43; Wth 0.2m) is more properly described as ovoid in shape, narrowing towards it base where it fuses with a smaller circle (diam. 0.1m), enclosing a Maltese cross. The two other cross-in-circles are located above the largest cross-in-circle, one on either side of the top half of the slab; both these circles (diam. 0.1m) enclose a Maltese-type cross. The cross-slab probably falls within the date range of 7th to 9th century. The slab is blotched with lichen. Attached image: MA008-006003-_01.JPG Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 15 July 2019

This early medieval cross-slab, likely dating to the 8th to 10th century, may have served as a memorial or waymarker associated with a Christian holy site. Its placement near a shrine traditionally linked to St. Cummin suggests a connection to early Irish monastic or pilgrimage traditions.

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