County: Tipperary Site name: ROSCREA
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 97E0247
Author: Conleth Manning, Dúchas
Site type: Cross - High cross
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 613541m, N 689396m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.955179, -7.798470
A small excavation was carried out around the base of the 12th-century cross to the south of the Romanesque church portal at Roscrea to uncover the full height of the base. The cross itself had been removed to the Kilkenny depot for repairs after being seriously damaged by vandalism.
A modern cement surface came to within 150mm of the top of the base. This and a layer of stones and soil beneath it were removed to reveal the full base, which is plain and of the normal truncated pyramid form. An older mortar surface survived to the north and south, level with and abutting the bottom of the base. The only find of interest apart from modern pottery and iron was a damaged piece of a decorated Romanesque column, found in the layer of stones.
51 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2
