What is recorded here

Two sandstone cross-slabs from Carrigeen graveyard in Ballynahown now lean against the north wall of Clonaslee Catholic churchyard in County Laois. One bears a two-line cross with concentric circles, a small Greek cross at its centre and cup marks flanking the upper arm. Both have lost at least a third of their upper western portions since being drawn intact, and the smaller third slab has vanished altogether. What remains is enough to show that careful hands cut these marks before the stones were moved, broken and set beside a living church.

Two rectangular shaped sandstone slabs both with incised simple crosses set against N wall of Clonaslee Catholic churchyard. A third much smaller slab is illustrated by Leask as Carrigeen no. 1 (JKAS 1937, 108) but could not be found. The remaining two cross-slabs (Carrigeen no. 2 and no. 3) are illustrated as being completely intact but both now have at least 1/3 of the W upper portions missing. Originally these cross-slabs (LA002-013006-) came from Carrigeen graveyard (LA002:013001-) Ballynahown. (JRSAI 1916, 166; JKAS 1939, 187). Depicted as Carrigeen no. 3 by Leask and described as a 'perfect slab about the same length as no. 2 but somewhat wider. It bears a two-line cross, with no side arms expanded at ends into half rounds and into a circle at centre, concentric with an inner circle in which is a small Greek incised cross (2" x 2"). Two cup marks flank the upper arm' (Leask 1939, 187). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 17 December 2007

Probably dates to the early medieval period, associated with Christian worship or burial practices. The crosses may reflect local monastic or ecclesiastical traditions, possibly linked to the nearby Clonaslee monastic site.

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