Stone sculpture in Clonygaheen,killoscully

Situated on an E-facing slope of rising ground in a valley in a mountainous region with a nearby stream to the E. Referred to as the 'Church of Kilcascoln' in the taxation of the Diocese of Cashel in 1302 (CDI, vol. 5, 281). A nineteenth-century RC church built on the site of a medieval parish church (TN032-002), the wall-footings of which were removed to facilitate the construction of the present church. According to local information an Early Christian decorated pillar stone now in the graveyard (TN032-002001) was discovered in the fabric of the wall-footings and was erected in its present location in the graveyard. The pillar is decorated with a figure of Christ the Warrior with a shield carved in relief and a vertical slot/groove running up the side. This is a possible caryatid used as a decorative frame around an object inside an Early Christian church. The oval-shaped face is similar to the figures on the Moon high cross in Co. Kildare while the depiction of Christ the Warrior on pillar stones is found on possible caryatids from White Island, Lower Lough Erne, Co. Fermanagh. Both the Moon high cross and the Fermanagh figures are dated to the ninth/tenth century and it is possible that a similar date could be assigned to the Killoscully figure. However the naivety of the carving along with the unusual representation of the feet may suggest a folk art tradition of the nineteenth century. The groove along the side of the pillar could have acted as a support for an altar/sedilia with the figure acting as decorative border. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 22 September 2008