What is recorded here

Half a metre of dark stone leans beside a holy well on High Island, its forked crosses cut through both faces like a promise made in two directions. It belonged to the church before it became a well marker, suggesting that prayer and water shared one address on this small island. The grooves still hold their shape against rain and forgetting, waiting for a hand to trace what the chisel already knows.

This cross-slab is c. 1.5m to the SSE of a holy well (GA021-026006-). It was previously located at the church (Wakeman 1839a). When Macalister (1896, 206, cross B) visited the island in 1896 it was leaning against the wall of the holy well. Described by Fisher (2014, 210, no. 21, Figs. 7.4, F.12) as a tapering garnet mica-schist slab (H 0.73m; Wth 0.54m; T 0.07m) which is decorated on both faces. The N face bears a linear cross that cuts through an irregular circle and ends with forked terminals. The outlines of the circle and terminals are repeated by firm grooves, giving the appearance of an outline cross. A hollow or weathered boss is enclosed by a curving groove in the upper left angle and this motif was probably repeated in the right angle. On the S face there is a linear cross with curving forked terminals. This cross is similar to that on the cross-slab (GA021-026049-) which was found at the base of the altar in the church (GA021-026014-) (ibid., 212). See also GA021-026007- for another similar cross-slab. (Wakeman 1891, 351, Pl. I, no. 6, 353 Pl. I, no. 51; White Marshall and Rourke 2000, 142, no. 2; Higgins 1987, vol. II, 294-5, no. 25) Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 18 December 2015

This cross-slab likely dates to the early medieval period, associated with Christian worship or burial practices. Its proximity to a holy well suggests a possible ritual or pilgrimage function, reflecting the spiritual significance of the site.

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