Cross-slab, Reachlainn Uí Bhirn, Co. Donegal

Cross-slab, Reachlainn Uí Bhirn, Co. Donegal

Standing close to the well-house at Reachlainn Uí Bhirn in County Donegal, this modest cross-slab offers a glimpse into early Irish Christian artistry.

Cross-slab, Reachlainn Uí Bhirn, Co. Donegal

The earthfast stone slab measures 42cm tall, 26cm wide and 7cm thick, with a distinctive gabled apex that gives it an almost house-like silhouette. Both of its broad faces bear carved cross motifs, though each tells its own story through different artistic techniques and symbols.

The north-eastern face showcases an elaborate chi-rho symbol, one of the earliest Christian symbols formed from the first two Greek letters of Christ’s name. Carved in double outline, this impressive design fills nearly the entire face of the stone, stretching 42.5cm tall and 26.5cm across. The rho element features a rounded hook curving to the right at its top, whilst a less pronounced hook to the left extends into an elongated descender that stands out in bold relief. Rather than forming a perfect circle, the wreath surrounding the symbol consists of four independently carved quadrants, each with somewhat angular, rectilinear outlines that give the design a distinctive character.



The south-western face takes a simpler approach, bearing an incised equal-armed cross near the apex. This cross, measuring 17cm tall by 15cm wide, features expanded T-bar terminals on all four limbs and sits at the centre of an incised circle approximately 21.5 to 23cm in diameter. First documented by Walsh in 1983 and later described in detail by Herity in 1995, this unassuming monument represents the kind of carved stone that once dotted the Irish landscape, marking sacred spaces and expressing faith through the universal language of symbol and stone.

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Walsh, P. 1983 The monastic settlement on Rathlin O’Birne Island, County Donegal. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 113, 53-66. Herity, M. 1995 Two Island Hermitages in the Atlantic: Rathlin O’Birne, Donegal, and Caher Island, Mayo. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 125, 85-128.
Reachlainn Uí Bhirn, Co. Donegal
54.66400548, -8.82541502
54.66400548,-8.82541502
Reachlainn Uí Bhirn 
Crosses & Monuments 

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