Cross of Muiredach, Monasterboise, Co. Louth
Location :
About 5 miles N of Drogheda town on the Dunleer / Drogheda
road (N1). Signposted through a gateway and up a lane.
Features :
This is a site of a monastery going back to the early 6th. century.
There are 3 sandstone crosses of which I show the Cross of abbot Muiredach
and a monastic sun dial.
You can't miss this magnificant piece of craftsmanship. It
dominates the cemetery by its sheer height ( 5.5 m/ 19ft) and
its richly carved surfaces. Here I have details of the north
and south faces. In the north face photo are two deeply
interlaced panels and above them a coiled serpent around heads under the
arm of the cross. On the south face (second photo) we have 17 individual bosses
(raised knobs) in one panel and a viking influenced bottom panel.
The sun dial at the bottom of the page allowed the monks to ascertain
the canonical hours of noon, 3 pm and 6pm.
Date :
Early 10th. century A.D.
© Paul Griffin, 2000
