Cross-slab in Unknown Townland

One of six cross-slabs (DU018-278-/283-) now located inside St Patrick’s Cathedral (DU018-020269-).  The granite cross-slab was uncovered in 1901 by Mr Spencer Harty, the City Surveyor, during drainage works carried out by Dublin Corporation on the Poddle in Patrick Street.  According to Mr Harty the cross-slab was built into the north wall of a stone culvert through which the Poddle flows that was located in front of the west door of St Patrick’s Cathedral (DU018-020269-).  He speculated that the cross-slab marked the site of St Patrick’s Well (Ronan 1941, 1). The discovery of this cross-slab was described as follows; ‘He soon found the ancient causeway of Patrick-street lower by six feet [1.8m] than the present one, within a few feet of the spot instinctively indicated. The record of the Well [DU018-020059-] was at once verified by the finding of a very ancient cross, or, rather, two crosses, inscribed in high relief on a great granite stone. The well itself had disappeared. Mr. Harty, with me, attributes this to a diversion of the Poddle by an arched culvert which directed the water-power along the west front of the Cathedral, turned a corn mill built against the west front of the Cathedral itself, and gave its name to the "Cross Poddle," and went on to grind at other mills. This diversion, and its great stone culvert, was probably made in the time of Charles II. [1660-85], and eliminated the Well itself. It could be no mere coincidence that this remarkable stone, found by Mr. Harty built into the north wall of the Poddle culvert, was on the exact spot where St. Patrick's Well was looked for’ (Drew 1901, 294; Kelly 1905, 640).  Broken granite slab with moulded edges that is decorated with two crosses carved in relief that was described by Thomas Drew as follows; ‘The stone has been removed to the Cathedral. It is such high and clear relief, despite the very ancient surface texture of the granite stone, that it suggests that this was a stone which had seen little weather exposure, and had been protected under some roof or canopy.  The stone has a cross in double circle with central boss, and, below, a Greek cross with cups at the joining of the arms. It measures 3' 9" [1.14m] x 2' 0" [0.6m], and is shaped to the circle’ (Drew 1901, 294-5; Ronan 1941, 2-3). Partial granite cross-slab (L 1.14m x Wth 0.64m-0.59m x T 0.21m) now located at the W end of the N aisle in St Patrick’s Cathedral.  The broken slab now missing the lower part of the stone bears a Greek cross in raised outline in a double raised ring. In the centre of the cross is a small round boss. Below the Greek cross is a Latin cross in low relief with large circular hollows in the angles. A round moulding extends along both edges of the slab and turns inwards to form hooks above the ringed cross. This moulding is cut into the two adjoining faces in the manner of an engaged column.  The slab was probably intended to be in a recumbent position (Crawford 1913, 166; Ó hÉailidhe 1973, 53-50; Swords 2009, No. 14, 80).  Healy (1973, 53) suggested that the raised band around the edge of the stone which turns inwards was, ‘derived from the pairs of serpents which occur in similar positions on some Scottish cross slabs, the finest example of which is at Dunfallandy (Allen and Anderson 1903, 288).  The main characteristic of these six slabs [DU018-281----; DU022-030004-; DU022-057----; DU018-020707-; DU021-030003-] is the double raised ring of a type not found elsewhere in the country. One similar slab exists at St. Edren's in Wales (Nash Williams 1950, 215), which was probably inspired by this group. Five of these crosses are in raised outline, four of them having small rings in in the centres, and the other a raised boss. Four crosses are in relief with small round hollows in the angles. On slab A5 both types of cross are represented and this further binds these slabs into one group. Slabs bearing ringed crosses with inscriptions which can be dated nearly all belong to the ninth century (Lionard 1961, 126-127). The slabs of group A are all shaped and two of them are tapered, a characteristic which would suggest a date late rather than early in the ninth century. The slab at St. Edrens has been dated to the tenth century (Nash Williams 1950, 215). Ronan (1941, 5-6) compared the cross-in-circle motif to the, ‘5th century chapel of St. Andrew in Ravenna where on the ceiling the Chi-Ro (monogram of Christ) in circle appears in mosaic. The development of this symbol appears clearly on a 7th century sarcophagus of Ravenna where the Chi-Ro becomes a cross.  Not all those pillar stones, considers Mile. Henry, were funerary or sepulchral. Many of them marked the place for the celebration of Mass in the ground about the primitive church. The churches were too small to accommodate the people, and at the burial place of the saint or founder in the graveyard was erected a pillar where the altar was placed. The stones of St. Patrick's Well, St. Audoen's, and National Museum were shaped to enclose the cross-in-circle, and so belong to the late 7th or early 8th century’. Paddy Healy (1982, ) suggest that the slabs with ringed cross above a Latin cross may have been inspired by the Trophy of the Cross, a motif which was in use in Italy during the 4th to 6th Centuries (Roe 1965, 219).  Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien