What is recorded here

Holy Island holds a smashed and rebuilt cross where a unicorn devours a human leg, proving that mercy and hunger share one mouth. The stones were scattered before clever hands joined them again, yet the brutal image still stares out from the church wall. What the creature swallowed may have been pride, violence or the old self that blocks love. The cross does not decorate the chamber; it warns the chamber to remember that transformation begins in loss.

Mounted on the N wall of the nave of St. Caimin’s church (CL029-009011-) and 6.42m from the W gable. Described by Macalister (1916-17, 147, no. 14 and Pl. XVII) as an important cross, once smashed to pieces but collected and cemented together by the Board of Works. This highly ornamented cross (H 1.59m; Wth across arms 0.97m; T 0.08m) was carved from a large slab and, similar to CL029-009054-, it has hollowed angles, no surrounding wheel and two rectangular panels at the base on either side of the shaft. Most of the left side panel at the base is missing. A roll moulding extends all around the outline of the cross and the arms and shaft had elaborate interlace that is now very faded. All that can be seen on the left side-panel are two boss-like objects, but on the right panel there is a quadruped, perhaps a unicorn, with the leg of a devoured human protruding from its mouth (Harbison 1992, 98, and pls 317 and 1015). On both sides there is text starting at the outer edge of the underside of the arm and reading down along the shaft. The right-hand text reads ‘OR DOARDSE[N]OIR HERENN I DO CATHAS[A]’ and the left-hand text reads ‘OR DO TH[-O] DORIGNIICROI-’ (Okasha and Forsyth 2001, 52). (Okasha and Forsyth 2001, 50-56) Compiled by: Mary Tunney Date of upload: 5 October 2015

The cross at Inishcaltra, also known as Holy Island, was built in the early medieval period, likely between the 9th and 12th centuries, and is associated with the church of St. Caimin. It is a significant high cross, noted for its artistic and historical value, though its exact builder remains unidentified.

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