Cross-slab in Lemanaghan

A monastery at Lemanaghan (Liath Manchán) was founded in the 7th century by Manchán whose feastday is celebrated on the 24th of January (Ó Riain 2011, 429). Early Christian cross-slab currently located inside the disused Lemanaghan schoolhouse. Recorded by Petrie in 1872 as `This stone was found in the churchyard of Lemanaghan, in the Clonmacnois district. Drawn by Miss Boxwell from a rubbing made of the stone by the Rev. James Graves and Mr. William M. Hennessy, in the year 1869' (Petrie and Stokes 1872, 18). Described by Crawford (1913, 264) as 'a slab about 3ft. 3in. (1m) by 2ft. (0.6m), incised with a double-lined ringed cross and the name Clonlarat, which reads down the sinister side'. According to Crawford this slab was missing from Lemanaghan at that time. Macalister (1949, 77) recorded that this cross-slab 'was decorated with a wheel-cross bore an inscription which reads CONLARAT'. See attached image of slab taken from Petrie and Stokes 1872. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 24 April 2014

Early Christian cross-slab, likely dating to the 8th–10th century, associated with the monastery founded by St Manchán in the 7th century. Such slabs often served as grave markers or commemorative monuments and may have had both Christian and symbolic prehistoric significance.