Cross (present location) in Cool West

A stone cross and two uninscribed pillar stones are located on a slight rise close to the E edge of the bog-covered Emlagh Basin, at the NW end of Valencia Island. The site, not marked on the OS maps, affords extensive views of the Atlantic and of the Blasket Islands to NW. Delap recorded that they were only recently 'raised to their present position' (1911, 410), and they stood in a roughly N-S line when seen by Westropp (1912, 301). The pillar stones now lie prostrate, adjacent to the upright stone cross. The stone cross (KE087-004001-) measures 1.64m long. Its lower shaft is .35m wide, while its upper end tapers gently to a straight-edged top. The angles, where the shaft and arms meet, are slightly hollowed. The short rectangular arms extend to a maximum width of .53m. Each face is ornamented by a diagonally disposed linear cross, the upper and lower angles of which are closed. At a distance of 1.4m to the S of the cross, the smaller (KE087-004002-) of the two pillar stones stood three feet (.91m) high; three feet (.91m) further S stood the taller pillar (KE087-004003-), six feet ten inches (2.1m) high (Westropp, ibid.). At present this pillar lies prostrate, 2.5m W of the cross, in a heap of loose stone. It measures 2.9m x .56m x .16m thick. The smaller stone is not identifiable. A row of low upright stones, 2m in overall length, occurs just E of the cross. Legend associates the site with St Brendan, the two pillar stones reputedly marking the graves of two men whom he baptised here (Delap 1911, 406-7). A bronze sword was found near this location in the last century (NMI 1893:40). The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 941. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 30 July 2013