Roscrea

High Cross

Originally located just across the road at St Cronan's church, the high cross in Roscrea consists of two fragments of a twelfth century cross mounted together with a modern section of the shaft linking them together. Standing at a height of around three metres the cross was originally decorated with scriptural panels but due to weathering the panels are almost impossible to identify. The west face pictured right bears a crucifixion scene in high relief on the head with three panels of badly worn animal interlace below. It is suggested that the ring may not have been complete and the arms may have held angelic figures.

The head of the east face of the cross pictured left, bears another high relief figure holding a crozier which may represent St Cronan. On the shaft are four worn panels, the top panel is possibly a horse with two panels of interlace below it. Probably the most interesting of these panels is the the bottom panel which bears figures beside a tree representing Adam and Eve and the Fall of Man. At the bottom of the shaft on the north side is a large high relief ecclesiastic figure wearing a long garment with a belt. The bottom of the South side also bears a high relief figure, a bishop or abbot carrying a crozier. The High Cross was restored and moved into the Black Mills centre in 2004 and an excellent replica now stands in the original position just across the road in the grounds of St Cronan's church.

South face

Roscrea Pillar