Clonmacnoise or Clonmacnois (Irish: Cluain Mhic Nóis) is a ruined monastery in County Offaly in Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone, founded in 544 by Saint Ciarán, from Rathcroghan, County Roscommon. One of the oldest early Christian settlements in Europe. Until the 9th century it had close associations with the kings of Connacht. The monastery flourished and became a great seat of learning, a University of its time with students from all over Europe. The ruins include a Cathedral, two round Towers, three high crosses, nine Churches and over 700 Early Christian graveslabs. The original high crosses, including the magnificent 10th century Cross of the Scriptures are on display in a purpose built Visitor Centre adjacent to the monastic enclosure.
Cathedral with Temple Kelly on the right
The “Clonmacnoise cross” or the “The Cross of the Scriptures” measures 10 ½ feet tall, easily visible amongst the ruins, dates to several hundred years later around 909 A.D., illustrating the growth and success of this monastery.
Every surface of the cross bears intricate carving in the fine sandstone, sourced over 100 km west of the monastery near the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. The panels depict stories from the Bible.
On the West Face from top to bottom
1) In the circle at the cross section: The Crucifixion.
2) The soldiers casting lots for Christ’s seamless garment. The center soldier carries a knife and hesitates about cutting up the garment.
3) The mocking of flagellation of Christ.
4) Christ in the tomb, above whom perches a bird which puts it beak into Christ’s mouth, breathing life into His dead body. Two sleeping soldiers are seated on the tomb.
5) the raised Christ (badly weathered)
6) Christ entering Jerusalem, a possible resurrection and the holy women at the tomb (badly weathered).
On the North Face from top to bottom:
1) St. Paul and St. Anthony
2) The burial of St. Paul the hermit. The lions at the base may be those which made their appearance to help dig the grace of St. Paul. the figure may represent St. Anthony playing a lament for the deceased Saint.
3) Anthony overcoming the devil in human form or St. Michael fighting the devil, or the triumph of learning over ignorance.
4) Two winged griffons and a lion (badly weathered)
5) Animals including a unicorn (badly weathered)
There are also some non-biblical scenes including a warrior. This may be the Abbot of Clonmacnoise or High King Flann Sinna, who together erected this cross, and are credited in an inscription at its base.
South Cross – it is believed to have been commissioned in the 9th century, making it one of the earlier high crosses in Ireland. It is thought to have been created around the same time as the Cross of the Scriptures.
A product of the Irish monastic community, these symbols of Christianity first appeared in Ireland around the 9th century when monastic learning was in its heyday, and continued to be carved into the 12th century, when the coming of the Anglo-Normans marked the beginning of the end of the high cross tradition. The cross’s designation “high”, first used in the Annals over a thousand years ago, was because the gracefully proportioned monuments could reach up to a height of 20 feet. Unlike the modern incarnations today, the original high crosses were never intended to mark places of burial. Instead, they were used as boundary markers of significant territories or sacred land and as monuments to political power. Though they may have served a wide variety of functions, their main purpose was predominantly religious. The cross’s intricately carved compositions of Old and New Testament scenes were used to teach the Bible’s message and to encourage piety, devoutness, prayer and reflection, fulfilling a similar role of the frescoes on the European continent churches. This educational focus was manifested in some of the most outstanding works of religious stone carving in both an Irish and European context, and was central in continuing the tradition of monumental stone sculpture into the 12th century.