Cross-slab in Townparks (roscrea Par.)

Situated immediately E of St. Cronán's Romanesque church (TN012-010001-) and presently surrounding the Church of Ireland church of St. Cronán's. The graveyard (TN012-010002-) contains a number of architectural fragments (TN012-010003-). Also discovered in the graveyard was one cross-slab and one inscribed stone (TN012-010004-; TN012-010015-). One, now in the National Museum, is a broken sandstone slab (0.55m x 0.44m x 0.05m) carved with a double-lined ringed cross carved in relief in a two-line frame (Crawford 1912, 240). There is an inscription under the ring of the cross which reads 'Rechtabra'. It has been dated to the ninth century (Petrie and Stokes 1878, vol. 2, 39). The other inscribed slab (TN012-010015-) is lost. It had an inscription in two lines "OROIT DO U CHERBAILL OROIT DO RIG ELE" (Okasha & Forsyth 2001, 217). Described by Okasha and Forsyth as `The text is incised in three horizontal lines across the two quadrants below the cross-arms, between the ring and the bar. ... Enough of the upper quadrants survive to indicate that they were not inscribed' (Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 215). According to Petrie this name may perhaps be identified with that of the person mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters when in 898 AD the annals record the death of 'Reachtabhra, of Roscre, died' (Petrie 1878, 39). According to Okasha & Forsyth`The stone was found `in the churchyard of Roscrea' and was known in 1870 when it was drawn by a Miss Boxwell .. No further details of the circumstances of discovery are recorded. In 1878 it was in the possession of Stokes. It later formed part of the Royal Irish Academy's collection, which was transferred to the NMI in 1890' (Okasha & Forsyth 2001, 214). This slab is now housed in the National Museum of Ireland (Cat: reg. no. x2903). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008

Probably dating to the early medieval period, this cross-slab may have originally formed part of a high cross or served as a memorial within a Christian settlement associated with St. Cronán. Its placement near a Romanesque church suggests continuity of sacred use of the site from early Christian times.