Cross-slab in Portlick / Whinning

The precise location of this cross-slab discovered in 1976 by Billy English (Fanning and Ó hÉailidhe 1980, 12) has not been identified, the slab was reportedly removed from the orchard wall before 1980 (ibid., 19). The location of this cross-slab was recorded as incorporated into the fabric of the S wall of a garden located 195m S of Portlick Castle (WM022-045----). This garden wall marks the boundary between the townlands of Whinning and Portlick. The slab was described in the SMR file as ‘now missing’ and as a ‘small sandstone slab inserted into the outer wall of the garden attached to Portlick Castle (WM022-045----). The slab contains a small Greek cross with expanded bifurcated terminals which touch the double banded circle enclosing the cross. The slab measures 5cm in length by 28cms in width and the encircled cross has a diam.[eter] of 16.5cm. The grooves on the cross is very shallow and slightly deep in the circle. It could be a consecration or dedication cross’ (ibid. 19). This cross-slab may be associated with possible early Christian church site (WM022-014001-/002-) located 200m to SSE (Reilly 2016, 113). Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 29 July 2017