In the centre of the Diamond, the square of Clones, is this wonderful high cross made from two different high crosses from the 10th century. Along with the round tower it was part of the monastery originally founded by St. Tigernach in the early 6th century.
The cross must have been re-erected in the square sometime in the past but it has been badly oriented, because the main decorated sides are facing south-north (170°-350°).
It stands on a stepped base that in turn stands on a large square plinth. The monument is protected by a railing, so it was impossible for us to get closer and take accurate measurements.
Looking at the cross it is clear that the head comes from a different cross than the shaft. It's small in comparison to the dimension of the shaft. The top part of the head is far more recent and it's hardly older than the 18th century.
The overal height of the cross is about 2.65 metres. The shaft is about 45 centimetres wide and 32 centimetres thick. The arms are about 72 centimetres wide.
On the south face of the shaft are scenes from the Old Testament, on the other side the scenes are from the New Testament.
The other two sides of the shaft are decorated mainly with small bosses or similar patterns.
On the head's surfaces are scenes mixed from both Testaments.
This cross appears 6 times in the movie "The Butcher Boy" (1997) by Neil Jordan.
We came here for the first time on May 10th, 2000.
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