Crossbane — Faughalstown

Annotated 'Crossbane' (Crois Bhán / White Cross) in Gothic script on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map which it is depicted standing on the side of a public road. Faughalstown Church (WM007-045----) and graveyard (WM007-045001-) lies 630m to the W, St. Dermot's Well (WM007-048----) stands 580m to the SW. Local folklore collected between 1935-8 from Faughalstown National School recorded the following details about this wayside cross; ‘On the right hand side of the road about a half mile this side of the graveyard of Faughalstown there stands the remains of an old limestone cross called the "Cres Bhan". It was over five feet [1.5m] in height and the letters I.H.S. were inscribed on it as shown in the accompanying sketch. About five years ago [c. 1930] it got broken at the point marked B in the sketch. The arms are in Carrigys yard and the top lies on the ground beside the cross. It is said that this cross was erected by Saint Feichen at the time he had his chapel [WM007-045001-] in Faughalstown graveyard [WM007-045001-]. Up to 30 years ago [c. 1905] the people had to carry the corpses to the graveyard because the hearse had not come into use. When they were passing the cross they stopped and said the De profundis’ (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0720, Pages 040-1; www.duchas.ie). Broken wayside cross described in 1980 as 'a broken cross shaft (L 0.92m; Wth 0.21m) lies partly buried by bushes inside the field fence. The shaft is plain with chamfered corners and a bevelled end to fit into a socket. A large limestone boulder now inaccessible in the bushes appears to have been the base of the cross. The top of the shaft is roughly squared as if to accommodate a shoulder piece of the head of the cross. However these could be hidden in the bushes. The shaft appears to be of late medieval date probably 16th or 17th century' (SMR file). Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 4 April 2020