What is recorded here

Half a metre of grey stone, chipped at the edges but still carrying the name Cholumban in angular letters, lies among the graves at Clonmacnoise. The cross flares into blank circles, perhaps once framed, perhaps never, and the top edge suggests a hand shaping it rather than breaking it. Petrie saw it in 1822, but Cholumban died long before lenses or inventories existed. Someone cut that name to keep it visible, and visibility is all death permits.

Clonmacnoise grave-slab inventory (1992) number: CLN00297 Dimensions: H 0.67, W 0.60, T 0.055 Double outline expansional cross with blank circular and slightly larger than semi-circular terminal expansions. It may have had a frame, the top of the slab appears to have been worked. Inscription: 'OR DO CHOLUMBAN'. Evidence of discovery: Petrie 1822. Condition: Damaged around the edges, no evidence of frame. National Monuments Service, Photo number: 81-143, 923 Stokes, M. (1878) Christian Inscriptions in the Irish language, Vol 1, p I, no. 9 Lionard, Early Irish Grave-slabs, PRIA 60(1959-60), p 132, Fig 23, no. 7. The Clonmacnoise inventory was compiled by the Office of Public Works. A copy of the record for this slab is available for inspection in the relevant Archaeological Survey of Ireland (SMR) file. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

Probably dates to the early medieval period (6th–10th century). The cross-slab likely served as a grave marker or commemorative monument, reflecting Christian symbolism associated with the monastic site of Clonmacnoise.

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