What is recorded here

Breakthrough in High Island, the largest chamber, is a cross-slab reused as an altar wall. Its D-shaped arms and notched centre still press outward through ancient stone, while missing edges remind the watcher that some chambers record loss before they record form.

Recorded by Fisher (2014, 208, no. 15, Fig. 7.3), this irregular garnet mica-schist cross-slab (H 0.76m; Wth 0.82m; T 0.12m) is incorporated into the S side of the altar against the E wall of the church (GA021-026014-). It was probably reused. The upper part of the slab and its right edge are damaged. Its surface is filled with an expansional cross in relief with D-shaped terminals. At the centre of the frame, within a raised band, there is a roundel, notched to form a cross with expanded and round-ended arms. A linear cross with bar terminals is superimposed on this. The lower and right terminals are decorated with fretwork but due to damage no decoration is evident in the top and left terminals. Small areas of plaster on the altar suggest that the cross-slab may have been concealed. (White Marshall and Rourke 2000, 145, no. 8) Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 20 November 2015

Probably dating to the early medieval period, this cross-slab may have originally stood as a Christian memorial or waymarker before being reused in the church. Its incorporation into the altar area suggests continued religious significance in the local Christian tradition.

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