Cross — Clonnageeragh

Wayside cross standing on W side of roadway in field 35m NNE of possible burial mound (WM004-029----). Drawn by Du Noyer (George Victor Du Noyer, “On road in the NE of Fore Abbey. [cross with figure sculpture]. The remains of the cross and the square plinth close by.,” Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, accessed January 27, 2020, http://rsai.locloudhosting.net/items/show/23411) in the 19th century. Described in 1928 as 'The lower portion of a cross head bearing a rude crucifixion, also the shaft broken in two and the socket stone 2ft. 10in. (0.85m) by 2ft. 3in. (0.67m). The head is 1ft. 8in. (0.5m) wide, both top and arms are missing. The pieces of the shaft are 1ft. 8in. (0.5m) and 1ft. 1in. (0.32m) in length, and have chamfered edges. The cross is inside of the road fence on the west side half a mile N of Fore, and half a mile south of No. 9 (WM004-010----)' (Crawford 1928, 60, no. 10). Described in 1980 as 'This cross is in 3 fragments, (1) the base (dims. 0.85m x 0.36m; H 0.16m) and the lower portion of the shaft (H 0. 58m; base Wth 0.24m; T 0.17m-23m) set in a socket (dims. 0.31m x 0.24m) in its upper surface, (2) portion of the shaft (L 0.36m) which fits the portion set in the base and (3) the upper part of the shaft (L 0.54m) and the lower half of the head. The top of the head is broken off and missing. The loose portion of the shaft (2) fits fairly well with the top portion of the shaft and head and it would seem that the cross is almost completely represented by these fragments. The base is a large block of limestone of rectangular shape and apparently unworked except for the rectangular socket cut in its upper surface. The shaft is rectangular in section with chamfered edges, the chamfering begins c. 0.11m up from the bottom i.e. from the bottom of the shaft and c. 0.05m up from the surface of the base. The shaft is plain. The upper portion of the shaft and the head has a crucifixion carved on one face. The figure is outlined by shallow grooves and is virtually complete, the feet, hands and top of the head been damaged. The arms of the figure are raised, the hands being level with the head. The features of the face are carved, mouth and nose but the eyes are damaged. The arms of the cross are damaged but appear to have been fairly short originally. The cross is set on the roadside bank, on the W side of the roadway, under some thorn trees and bushes. There are some stones lying about below the cross under the trees but none of them are fragments of the cross, however it is possible that some other small fragments of the cross may be hidden in the undergrowth of the bank' (SMR file). Wayside cross (WM004-011----) 120m to the NNW, possible burial mound (WM004-029----) 35m to SSW, Knocknamonaster earthwork (WM004-035011-) 140m to SSW and Fore Abbey (WM004-035010-) 330m to SW. Compiled and updated by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 14 April 2015