Graveslab (present location), Dublin North City, Co. Dublin

What makes it worth seeking out is what covers its surface: three groups of concentric circles arranged along a central band, flanked on each side by a herringbone pattern, and two vestigial arms that protrude slightly from the edges, the ghost of a cross-shaped form that never quite fully emerged from the stone. It is an object that rewards close attention, the kind of carving that looks simple until you start thinking about who made it, and when, and why.

The slab originated at Tully graveyard in County Dublin, where it was one of eleven early granite grave slabs recorded at the site. Early medieval grave slabs of this kind, typically dating from the early Christian period in Ireland, were placed over burials and often carried incised ornament ranging from simple crosses to more elaborate geometric designs. The concentric circle motif on this particular example was catalogued and described by Ó hÉailidhe in 1957 and again in 1973, where it was designated B13 in his survey of such monuments. The slab measures 1.51 metres in height, between 0.41 and 0.27 metres in width across its tapered face, and 0.08 metres in thickness. In 1989 it was taken into the care of the Office of Public Works, removing it from Tully and placing it under formal protection.

Because the notes describe this as the present location of the slab rather than a publicly accessible monument with a fixed visitor address, it is worth contacting the Office of Public Works directly before making a trip, since objects in state care are not always on open display. The original site at Tully graveyard in County Dublin remains a separate record and retains the broader collection context, so anyone with a serious interest in these slabs may find it useful to consider both locations together. The carved surface, with its precise geometric ornament preserved in hard-wearing granite, is best examined in good raking light, which draws out the shallow relief of the circles and the fine diagonal cuts of the herringbone bands.