Donaghmore High Cross

Grid reference: J105350

Geology: Newry granite

dates: late 9th/early 10th century

Donaghmore’s old Irish name is Domnach Mór Maige Coba (‘of the plain of Coba’) but, although the element Domnach (‘sunday’) indicates a very early stratum of place names in early Ireland, very little is known about the ancient history of this site. However, its probable patron was named erc, and ‘holy bishops’ of Donaghmore find honourable mention in the Litany of Irish Saints of around 800. nothing remains of the medieval church, which was probably part of the see of Armagh and in the hereditary keepership of the McKerrell family, but it was probably on the same site that the existing church was built in the 19th century. There would appear to have been an earthen enclosure around and beyond the limits of the present churchyard which may have indicated the extent of the ancient monastery, but its traces can no longer be made out satisfactorily. The High Cross is said to stand on the capstone of an extensive underground passage known as a souterrain which was, however, closed down in 1890 – probably at the same time that the parts of two separate crosses were erected one above the other on top of it. It is worth mentioning that the newry and Mourne Museum houses a cross-decorated stone which came from Aughnacavan not very far away.

The main feature here is a High Cross of newry granite (as identified by Ian Meighan). It is, interestingly, the only example in Down to have a pierced ring, and only one of three in the County to bear biblical carvings. There is a reasonable chance that its stepped base is old – as is also the case with a similar one at Clonlea only seven and a half miles away. As with so many of the ulster crosses, it is composed of pieces of two separate crosses – the shaft and the head respectively, the latter of which can be seen from the side to be considerably narrower than the shaft – so that we must envisage that there was a minimum of two crosses on the site originally.

The east face of the Donaghmore High Cross, showing the Last Judgement on the cross-head.

The high Crosses and round Towers of CounTy down: a field guide The west face of the Donaghmore High Cross, showing the Crucifixion on the cross-head.

The stepped socket stone of the Donaghmore High Cross.

Shaft The comparatively narrow angular shaft has a broad collar below, and a narrower one at the top, both being linked at the upright corners by broad roll mouldings. within them there is a further, more slender, moulding framing the sculptures vertically on the east and west faces. on the narrow sides the moulding separates the raised panels of decoration and sculpture horizontally by coming in towards the centre but redoubling back on itself without meeting its fellow on the other side. This ‘split frame’, as it is known, is a feature characteristic of some of the ulster crosses, but also of others in the boyne Valley and midlands of Ireland, thus showing connections that go far beyond the bounds of its own county.

Most ulster scriptural crosses would have had the east face of the shaft devoted (usually exclusively) to the old testament and the west face to the new. one of the features which make this Donaghmore cross different

from the rest is that – in as far as we can recognise the subject-matter of the carvings – both faces bear old testament material, though new testament material may also have been included. Reading from the top downwards on the east face we have three figures with the one in the centre being taller than the other two. This is a feature found in Baptism of Christ scenes, as on the cross in Armagh Cathedral, but this is an unlikely identification here, as there is no sign of the waters of the Jordan beneath. The central figure does, however, seem to hold a book upright in the left hand, suggesting that this may be a new testament scene of Christ flanked possibly by disciples, perhaps akin to the probable Transfiguration scene on the west face of Muiredach’s cross at Monasterboice in the neighbouring county of louth. beneath these three figures we can see, on the left, David holding up a stick bearing the head of Goliath while, on the right, David holds up a lion which he slew because it took a sheep from his flock. beneath the beast’s hind-quarters a circle with a dot in it can be seen to link up with another similar disc beneath the David figure with the head of Goliath. These probably denote the rock in Horeb (exodus xvii,6) from which Moses (beneath the lion-holding David) smote water in the sight of the elders of Israel, who are shown at a small scale beneath the two strands of water gushing out below the linked circles. beneath these are a set of three figures who are stepped up towards the right like the old advertisement for ‘Growing up on Fry’s cocoa’, and beneath them again a further three figures, with that on the right this time being smaller. This lower trio seem to be standing on a set of four heads, leaving us none the wiser as to the identity of the figures on the lower two-thirds of the shaft. on the west face, there is a framed panel of interlace on the bottom collar, above which we find Adam and Eve facing us as the branches of the apple tree tower over them. Above the tree are four fish, to be understood as swimming in the waters on which the angular Noah’s Ark above them floats. Part of the composition is damaged and, above the crack, are two figures, that on the right slightly taller, but who they are is not easy to decipher. At the top of the panel, beneath possibly a bird and a fish, are two figures of approximately equal size, that on the right holding a large sword or club in the right hand. This could be Cain slaying Abel, though on most of the northern crosses featuring this event, three figures are shown.

The sides of the shaft bear raised panels of interlacing animals with a head at each corner, and only one panel with human figures, neither of which are easily identifiable. That on the bottom of the south side shows a standing figure holding what appears to be a smaller figure upside down (with possible echoes of the possible Simon Magus figure on the arm of the tall Cross at Monasterboice), while that second from the bottom on the north side has a figure on the right holding up a sword (?) at a slight diagonal as if to strike the smaller figure on the left with a circular object above its head.

Head

As mentioned above, the head belongs to a separate cross, carved in lower and less striking relief than the shaft, added to which the surfaces have not withstood well the test of time. The ring seems to have been decorated with interlace ornament, and the curious ‘cylinders’ going through from side to side as found on so many of the Irish ringed crosses are seen here on the inner side of the ring.

Christ is the central figure on both faces. on the east, he is seen standing, apparently holding an object in each hand and flanked by numerous figures extending out to the ends of the arms. This may be taken as a representation of The Last Judgment, so reminiscent of the same panel on Muiredach’s Cross at Monasterboice, on which the stylised composition may well have been based. whether st. Michael is shown weighing souls beneath Christ’s feet, as at Monasterboice, is a moot point, and the identity of the figures above Christ’s head remains unknown.

The Crucifixion occupies pride of place at the centre of the west face. The saviour seems to wear a long colobium, with his (possibly tied) feet appearing below the hem.

Visible beneath his left arm is what may be taken to be longinus with his lance about to pierce Christ’s left side (as on so many of the Irish High Crosses), while the much worn figure under his right arm is presumably stephaton giving the hyssop to Christ, though the details are so worn that it is difficult to make them out. As on a number of other ulster crosses, we have the two thieves shown in a crucified posture, with arms outstretched, each accompanied by a figure on either side. but what is so remarkable on this cross is the presence between the thieves and Christ’s hands of two small

The two faces of the Donaghmore cross-head. figures, apparently seated, who may be identified as the figures of Oceanus on the left, and Terra on the right, ocean and earth respectively, as found on Muiredach’s Cross at Monasterboice in Co. louth and a few others. Above Christ’s head are what we may take to be angels, with rather long bird-like wings. Above them are two further figures with spirals emanating from their heads and, on top, there are the remains of a sloping roof. on the south side there would appear to be a small figure in the gable of the roof and, beneath it, possibly an interlace with bossed ornament. The end of the south arm

bears interlace similar to that on the shaft beneath it, suggesting that both head and shaft were carved by the same sculptor – but each belonging to a separate cross. The end of the north arm has a further single figure with the right arm extended, and there is a possible further figure in the gable of the roof of the cross. both elements of the cross – shaft and head – show a unique concentration of material reflecting both ulster and leinster connections. The links with other ulster crosses are shown by the predilection for old testament material (even to the extent of being found on both faces of the shaft) and, more particularly, the presence of the thieves on the arms of the Crucifixion scene – a feature not found south of the border. The leinster connection is seen particularly in the earth and ocean figures, as found on Muiredach’s Cross at Monasterboice, Co. louth, and probably also at Kells and Clonmacnois. Further links with Monasterboice are the scene of Moses striking the rock in Horeb and the two David figures – slaying the lion and holding up the head of Goliath. while rooted firmly in the ulster tradition, as seen for instance in the presence of the thieves at the Crucifixion, this is the only cross in County Down which shows such remarkable iconographical links with Monasterboice that we can only suppose that the Donaghmore sculptor was copying in his somewhat intractable granite the more subtle modelling in sandstone seen on the Monasterboice crosses, of which the Donaghmore cross is a rather simplified and stylised version. The head of the Donaghmore cross is the only one among the County Down [Insert map 7 here, crosses which has the head pierced - a showing route feature also seen on Muiredach’s cross between Donaghmore at Monasterboice. The only difference and Dromore]. is that the latter cross has ‘cylinders’ on the armpits of the cross head and not on the inner ring as at Donaghmore.

From Donaghmore, return to the main road from Newry and turn north towards Dromore.