The Nethercross
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In Ireland,
stone crosses were used in early Christian times to teach stories from
the Bible. The Nethercross or Lowercross was carved in granite by the
monks sometime between the 7th and 9th centuries.
It is over two metres tall and can be seen today in St. Canice's
graveyard. There are spiral designs on the underside of the cross. In
early times this cross stood on the Northern boundary of the village at
a place which is still called Watery Lanes. This area of Finglas was
known as the Barony of the Nethercross. The Barony of Uppercross was in
Tallaght on the south side of the city. In 1649 Oliver Cromwell and his army passed through Finglas. The villagers buried the cross to protect it from the "Roundheads" and it lay buried until 1816 when Rev. Robert Walsh was determined to prove that the myths and stories about a cross were true. The cross was found in the Glebe Field. It was repaired and erected in the south-east corner of the graveyard where it stands today.
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