Graveslab, Dundrum, Co. Dublin
Co. Dublin |
Tombs & Memorials
In the graveyard at Dundrum, south County Dublin, a large stone slab has come to light that quietly complicates any straightforward reading of the neighbourhood's past.
The slab is Early Christian in origin, and what makes it particularly worth attention is the cross carved into its surface: not the familiar Latin cross, but what appears to be a saltire, that is, a diagonal or X-shaped cross, formed by two sets of three incised lines radiating outward from a central cup mark. The cup mark itself is quite faint, only about five centimetres in diameter, yet it sits at the geometric heart of the entire design. It is the kind of object that rewards close looking.
The slab, measuring roughly 1.64 metres in length and 0.46 metres in width, belongs to a tradition of Early Christian grave markers found across Ireland, where simple incised crosses were cut into flat stones to identify and sanctify burials. The saltire form is less commonly encountered than the ringed or Latin cross variants, and the use of multiple radiating lines rather than a single cut gives this example an unusual, almost architectural quality. The stone was exposed relatively recently in the graveyard itself, though fragments are now housed inside the present St Nahi's church nearby for safekeeping. The site is documented by researcher Corlett, with Geraldine Stout among those responsible for compiling the record.
St Nahi's church sits on a site with early ecclesiastical associations, and the church building that now holds the slab fragments is the practical place to begin a visit. The graveyard surrounds it, and while the slab was exposed there, the worked fragments have been moved inside, so entry to the church is worth attempting if it is open. The carving is subtle rather than bold, and in low or raking light the incised lines and faint cup mark become considerably easier to read against the stone's surface. Anyone with an interest in early medieval stonework will find it a more detailed piece than its modest dimensions might initially suggest.