Type: Cross Inscribed
Townland: Cinn Ard High Headland
This cross is within Kinard Graveyard. The graveyard (situated beside the birthplace of Tomás Ashe), may have been the site of a medieval parish church, but nothing survives of it today.
There are two ogham stones in the graveyard, the more well-known one bearing an interesting cross motive and the name 'Mariani'. This indicates that the site was extant in the early medieval period.
Further details in Cuppage, J. et al., 1986 Archaeological Survey of the Dingle Peninsula, Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne, Ballyferriter, p. 328.
This small, narrow rectangular stone, is different from most of the stones in the graveyard, and caught my eye because of the cross carved on it. It is decorated on one face only. Although noted in the files of the archaeological survey (housed in Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne, Baile an Fheirtéaraigh), it was not mentioned in the 1986 publication.
It could be looked at 2 ways, as a cross (upright) with a separate inscription 'C ∙ B' – perhaps someone's initials – written at a different time below. Or is it a cross standing on some kind of ornamental base, the whole carving carried out at the one time?
Isabel Bennett