What is recorded here

Half a metre of worn stone, the cross-slab in Clonmacnoise still carries a broken Irish name and looped fret patterns at its ends. Petrie saw it in 1822, but time has taken the stem and blurred the centre until spirals and geometric marks become guesses. It is small enough to lift, yet heavy with the sudden silence of death and the patience of stone.

Clonmacnoise grave-slab inventory (1992) number: CLN00310 Dimensions: H 0.485, W 0.37, T 0.05 Outline expansional cross with median line. The looped semicircular terminals contain fret patterns while the central circular expansion has a very worn design which could be spirals or a peculiar fret pattern. Inscription: A mutilated inscription 'OR DO [CHO]UI GOR[MAIN]'. Evidence of discovery: Petrie 1822. Condition: Badly worn. Terminal of cross stem missing. National Monuments Service, Photo number: 81-231, 941 Stokes, M. (1878) Christian Inscriptions in the Irish language, Vol 1, p LIX, no. 143 Lionard, Early Irish Grave-slabs, PRIA 60(1959-60), p 133, Fig 24, no. 7. The Clonmacnoise inventory was compiled by the Office of Public Works. A copy of the record for this slab is available for inspection in the relevant Archaeological Survey of Ireland (SMR) file. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

Date likely to the early medieval period (7th–10th century AD), reflecting Christian symbolism and artistic tradition. The cross-slab may have served a funerary or commemorative function, possibly associated with the monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise.

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