Cross - High cross, Clonca, Co. Donegal

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Crosses & Monuments

Cross – High cross, Clonca, Co. Donegal

Seventy metres west of a medieval church and graveyard in Clonca, County Donegal, lies the weathered remains of what was once an impressive Irish high cross.

Known locally as the West Cross, this National Monument now rests horizontally in a field, its ringed head measuring 1.65 metres wide but surviving only one metre in height. The cross head lies beside a large boulder featuring a carefully cut socket, 60 centimetres long and 22 centimetres deep, which once held the monument upright. A detached arm fragment, now stored inside the nearby ruined church, would bring the cross's height to approximately 1.55 metres if reunited with the main structure.

The decoration on this early medieval monument showcases the intricate artistry typical of Irish high crosses. The visible upper surface displays a ringed head with hollowed angles that haven't been carved completely through the stone. At its centre, eight coils connected by C-curves form a cruciform pattern around a small central circle, whilst the hollowed angles each contain two concentric circles. The arms and top of the cross feature four triquetras; interlocking three-cornered shapes; arranged within circles. Roll moulding runs along the edges of the shaft, and similar decorative roundels appear on multiple surfaces, including one with five interconnected C-shapes arranged around a central boss with a depression.

Archaeological surveys conducted by both the Donegal Survey and P. Harbison have documented this cross as part of a larger ecclesiastical complex that includes another standing high cross just 50 metres to the east. The West Cross's base, measuring roughly 1.30 metres wide by 1.40 metres broad, remains in the field alongside the fallen head. Though time and weather have abraded some of the intricate patterns, particularly on the stored arm fragment which may have originally borne interlace designs, the monument continues to display remarkable examples of early Irish Christian art and stonework craftsmanship.

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