What is recorded here

St Macdara’s Island, a small landmass off County Galway, once carried a rectangular cross-slab marked by a bold Greek cross inside a circle. Kinahan drew that design in 1869 and Crawford listed the broken stone near the church ruins in 1913, yet neither pinned down its exact spot. The slab vanished before the 1984 inspection, pulling the island’s religious memory back into legend and leaving only the drawing behind.

Associated with the ecclesiastical remains at the SE end of Cruach na Cara/St Macdara’s Island. Kinahan (1869, 554-5, fig. 4) recorded this rectangular cross-slab but did not specify its location. Its upper half was decorated with a single-line circle within which there was a two-line Greek cross with stepped arms forming an enlarged centre. Crawford (1913, 152) included the slab in his catalogue, noting that it was located near the church (GA076-020001-) and that it was broken. Not located during site inspection in August 1984. Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 6 June 2018

Probably dates to the early medieval period, associated with Christian activity linked to St Macdara. Likely used as a memorial or liturgical marker, reflecting the spiritual significance of the island.

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