Cross, Glebe, Co. Dublin
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Crosses & Monuments
A granite cross standing just south of a medieval church in Glebe, County Dublin, carries two different carved motifs depending on which direction you face it.
The southern face bears a Latin cross rendered in relief, while the northern face shows a worn cross-in-circle, a design that predates the more standardised Latin form and appears frequently on early medieval Irish stonework. That two distinct traditions should share a single stone is the quiet puzzle at the centre of this monument.
The cross is cut from granite and set into a granite base, tapering as it rises, from a thickness of around 30 centimetres at the bottom to roughly 18 centimetres near the top. It stands 1.64 metres high and 0.62 metres wide. It sits in relation to the medieval church recorded in the Archaeological Survey of Ireland as DU020-003002, though the cross itself is catalogued separately. The record was compiled by Geraldine Stout, and the cross is noted in Swan's 1986 survey of the area. The worn condition of the cross-in-circle on the northern face suggests considerable age, though the notes do not assign a precise date to either the cross or its carvings.
The site lies to the south of the medieval church in Glebe, and the cross remains in situ, set into its original base. The tapering form is worth noting when you approach it; the shift in thickness from ground to tip gives the stone an almost wedge-like profile that is easier to appreciate from the side than from straight on. The northern face, with its eroded cross-in-circle, requires good raking light to read clearly, so a visit on an overcast day or in low winter sun will bring out what remains of the carving better than bright overhead light would.