Cross-slab in Hare Island

Early Christian cross-inscribed slab on Hare Island was recorded by Petrie in 1822 but has been lost since the 19th century and its present location on the island is unknown. Petrie (Petrie and Stokes 1872, 9) recorded the following details about this cross-slab; 'One on Inis Aingin, or Hare Island, Oraid do Tuathal hua Huarain, is given by O'Donovan in his notes to the Annals of the Four Masters, (vol. i., p. 553); but this inscription was differently read by Dr. Petrie, who, in his drawing of the slab, gives the words as follows:, Or ar Tuath Charan. It has since disappeared'. Petrie described the early Christian inscription on this slab as following; OR AR TUATHCHARAN. (Pray for Tuathcharán). The form Tuathcharán is a diminutive of Tuathchar, which was the name of a Bishop of Clonmacnois, whose death is thus recorded in the Chronicon Scotorum:, " a. d. 889. Tuadhcar, Bishop of Cluain-mic-Nois, quievit." Dr. Petrie drew this inscription and cross in the year 1822. The stone he found lying in the burial ground (WM022-028003-) of an old church (WM022-028001-) dedicated to St. Ciaran on Inis Ainghin, or Hare Island, Lough Ree. Dr. O'Donovan, when engaged on the Ordnance Survey some years afterwards, saw this tombstone. He gives another reading of the inscription differing from Dr. Petrie's, and one which does not seem so likely to be correct. His version is, ORAID DO TUATHAL HUAHUARAIN. (A prayer for Tuathal Hua Huarain). This stone is not now to be found' (Petrie and Stokes 1872, 45). See attached 1822 drawing of cross-slab, taken from Petrie 1872, Fig. 91. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 16 July 2019

Dated to the Early Christian period, likely 7th to 9th century AD, the cross-inscribed slab would have served a religious or commemorative function, possibly as a high cross or memorial stone. Its loss has obscured any local folklore or specific dedications that may have been associated with it.