Moone
High Cross
Location:
Moone,
Co. Kildare
Moone
High Cross |
| A reminder of the penetrating and lasting influence of Christianity
on Ireland crops up at almost every turn, in the form of High
Crosses. Standing stones that monks carved with simple motifs
in the 7th century preceded these. By the 9th and 10th centuries
whole crosses were carved out of blocks of stone, usualy sandstone,
although in thre Barrow valley in Kildare granite was used.
High Crosses are charicterised by tall stone shafts topped
by a circle that surrounds the arms of the cross. They were
decorated on every face with panels depicting scenes from
the Old and New testaments, such as Adams and Eve on either
side of an apple-laden tree, with the Crucifixation in the
central position. |
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| Interlaced patterns with motifs were taken from metalwork
were carved around these panels, and some of the decoration
includes ornamental studs and angle moudings which suggest
that the designs were first cast on sheets of metal and then
translated into stone. |
| One of the finest High crosses is muiredach’s Cross at Monasterboice
in Louth. It is carved out of a single sandstone block 17ft
8in high, and has an inscription on its base asking for a
prayer for Muiredach, who had the cross made. |
| It has been suggested that the crosses marked the graves
of important people, but it is more likely that they were
an illustrated Bible, used as a means of instruction. |
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