What is recorded here

A ringed cross-head carved with the Crucifixion and swirling interlace now stands inside Rath R. C. Church, pulled from the Drumcullen graveyard only because its ancient base threatened to collapse. The missing shaft and broken arm leave a stark wound in the stone, yet the surviving faces still show Christ stretching toward a hemispherical sun or perhaps a worn human head. This is not a dead relic but a rescued fragment, waiting for viewers to complete the story its chipped edges refuse to tell.

The circular shaped base (Wth 0.9m; H 0.5m) of the high cross which may have been an earlier millstone and is located in the W quadrant of the graveyard (OF036-028002-) a few metres to W of the W gable of Drumcullen church (OF036-028001-). The shaft of the limestone cross is now missing and the head of the ringed cross is decorated with the crucifixion on one face and with a triskele design with interlace on the opposite face. The cross-head has been recently removed from the graveyard (OF036-028002-) by Offaly County Council for safety concerns and is now on public display inside Rath R. C. Church (OF031-072----). The cross was described by Harbison (1992, vol. 1, 75) as following: 'A cross-head with one arm still remaining lies close to an old church (OF036-028001-). Close by is what would appear to be an ancient mill-stone, which may have served as a base for the cross at some time. The cross-head is 96 cm high, and only 40cm broad now, but originally it would have measured about 60cm across the arms. It is 18cm thick. The directions (east/west) given below are notional. East Face: In the centre there is a circular raised moulding enclosing spiral decoration emanating from a central circle. There is interlace decoration in the limbs of the cross. The ring, with roll moulding at the edges, has interlace decoration. South Face: The underside of the ring has a vertical roll moulding in the centre, while the end of the arm has a panel of interlace. West Face: Centre; The Crucifixion - Christ is shown with outstretched arms, and wearing a rope-like garment. Stephaton is probably on the left and Longinus on the right. There is a hemispherical boss (Sol, the sun, or a worn human head?) at the end of Christ's arm. The other arm has been broken away. Above Christ's head there would seem to be a spiral motif. The surviving arc of the ring is similar to that on the east face, though the mouldings are higher.' Cross-referenced with OF031-072----. To see a 3D model of this high-cross, visit; https://skfb.ly/oxSDO The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Updated by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 4 January 2016

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