Cross Inneenboy, Roughaun, Co. Clare
Co. Clare |
Crosses & Monuments
At a site in Roughaun, County Clare, visitors who think they are looking at an ancient cross are, in fact, looking at a copy.
The original Tau Cross, sometimes called a T-cross for its distinctive T-shaped form rather than the familiar Latin cross, was removed from this location and is now held elsewhere, leaving a replica in its place to mark the spot where the stone once stood.
The cross, known as Cross Inneenboy, is a national monument in State care, designated as National Monument No. 574. The Tau cross form has early Christian associations across Ireland and Europe, and examples in stone are relatively rare, which gives this particular piece some significance beyond its modest rural setting. The fact that the site now holds only a reproduction is a quiet reminder of how frequently ancient objects are moved for conservation or safekeeping, sometimes leaving the landscape around them feeling slightly out of step with itself.
