What is recorded here

Thirty metres from the Cistercian abbey in Abbeyshrule, a broken sandstone shaft once stood loose in the burial ground, its arms lost to time. Now the thistle-headed stub sits safe in the church sacristy, preserving faint interlace and a possible ringed cross that survived the vandalism or decay which took the rest. It is a small, stubborn witness to the monastery's forgotten grandeur.

Originally located in the burial ground (LF023-113002-) c. 30m to the NE of the Cistercian abbey (LF023-113----), this high cross has been moved to the sacristy of the RC church in the village of Abbeyshrule for safe-keeping (see LF023-129----). Crawford (1924, 171) recorded that the shaft of the cross was broken off above the socket and was loose in the graveyard; the arms were missing. Described by Harbison (1992, vol. 1, 9) as an armless sandstone cross (H 0. 97m; max. Wth 0.27m; T 0.1m) with a thistle-shaped head. There is a possible ringed cross at the centre of the E face. The shaft of the W face is decorated with interlace, and on the head there is a central round boss enclosed by two roll mouldings. Decoration on the sides includes vertical ribs in false relief and a meander pattern. Similar crosses are found at Laughanstown (DU026-023003-), county Dublin, Layd, county Antrim and Kildalton on the island of Islay in Scotland (Crawford 1908, 190; 1924, 171). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 5 August 2013

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