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). Cross-inscribed slab with Goidelic inscription now located inside the disused school house at Lemanaghan. Described by Crawford (1913, 265; Crawford 1911, 154) as a 'thin slab of sandstone, broken and wanting one corner. It is 3 ft. 6 in. (1.06m) long by 2 ft. 4 in. (0.71m) wide, and bears a ringed cross of two lines incised, and having the sectors of the ring recessed. The base of the shaft is stepped and pointed, and the cross is surrounded at the upper end and sides by a rectangular incised line. Above the line and inverted is the inscription bendact for a[nma]in ailbertig'. At the time this inscribed slab was located leaning up against the wall NW of the church. Described by Macalister (1949, 78) as a sandstone cross-slab (dims. 1.07m x 0.71m x 0.05m) which is broken into three pieces and is decorated with a wheel-cross fitchée and which contained an inscription which reads BENDACT (sic) FOR AN [MA]IN AILBERTIG that can be expanded to BENDACHT FOR AN[MA]IN AILBERTIG. See attached image of slab taken from Macalister 1949, plate VIII. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 24 April 2014

Date likely to the early medieval period, possibly 8th to 10th century, reflecting the influence of the nearby 7th-century monastery founded by St Manchán. The cross and Goidelic inscription may mark a Christian memorial or ecclesiastical boundary, associated with early Irish monastic tradition.