Ireland’s High Crosses

High crosses are the most striking reminders today of the Christian monastic settlements that dotted medieval Ireland. The high crosses--so named because of their size, usually 4 to 5 yards tall--were a favored form of religious art for Celtic stonemasons beginning in the ninth century. They are carved from one or two pieces of stone, usually sandstone or granite. About 200 survive, including 80 decorated extensively with sculpted figures. The most famous high crosses are within easy driving distance of Dublin:

Ireland’s High Crosses

Kells: 35 miles northwest, founded by St. Columba, where three crosses--one in fine shape, a second never finished and a third broken at the base--stand in the Anglican church cemetery. A fourth is positioned precipitously on the main country highway.

Clonmacnois: 80 miles west, where St. Ciaran founded a center of learning in A.D. 548 near the east shore of the River Shannon; its Cross of the Scriptures was moved inside a specially built interpretive center on the site in 1991.

Monasterboice: Thirty miles north, an otherwise obscure monastic site but for its two exquisitely detailed high crosses depicting Old Testament scenes and the life of Christ.