Cross in Toraigh

This possible base for a stone cross was discovered by Islanders in the course of a clean-up of the graveyard (DG006-002001-) and was originally considered to be a random boulder which they were investigating with a view to its removal. A pit was excavated (1.20m N-S, 1.35m E-W. D 0.60m) and in it were revealed the possible cross base, a plain slab laid on its side and an upright water rolled boulder. The cross base (H 0.60m; Wth at top 0.51m. T at top 0.37 and bottom 0.26m) was roughly hewn from a boulder of granite. It is smoothly dressed and well finished on the E side while on the W side, lower down, it has a slightly bulbous and unfinished appearance. The base splays outwards to form a triangular shape, narrowing towards the top where a shallow rectangular socket (L 0.43m; Wth 0.14m; D 0.08 widening to 0.11m at the S end), has been neatly carved. Running parallel to the cross base and 30 cm from its W side, is a plain granite slab (H 0.59m; Wth 0.98m; T at top 0.13m), set on edge and may originally have been placed there as part of a structure designed to protect or secure the cross base. It is the same height as the cross base and was partly exposed at its S end before being exposed more fully in the recent graveyard clean up. Notwithstanding the above, this slab is also in line with a number of apparently upright stones running from S to N across the graveyard and it is possible that they indicate the remnants of an early division within the original monastic enclosure, with the cross base just inside it. Abutting the S side of the cross base is an upright water rolled granite boulder (H 0.50m; Wth 0.30m; T 0.14m), serving no obvious function. It may have been part of a support structure for the base or indeed its presence may be purely fortuitous. The shape of the stone is reminiscent of the cursing stones on the leacht at Inishmurray (SL001-001015-) and elsewhere, and its presence so close to the cross base may imply a similar function, or at least that it may have been deliberately placed there. Compiled by: Fionnbarr Moore Date of upload: 13 March 2013