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Lunderstown Cross
 

County

Meath

Coordinates

N 53° 38' 00.24"   W 006° 25' 12.66"

Nearest town

Duleek

Grid Ref.

O 04483 66004

Map No.

43

Elevation a.s.l. (m)

49

Date of visit

Monday 5 June 2017

GPS Accuracy (m)

3
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The cross seen from across the road. The R152 is a very busy road, be extremely cautious when visiting this monument.


Along the R152 south of Duleek, hidden into a roadside hedge, is another cross of the Dowdall series.
It consists of a tall shaft with a collar surmounted by another shorter rectangular block slightly tapering towards the top.
The cross was erected in 1600 by Dame Jennet Dowdall in memory of her husband Sir William Bathe, deceased in 1599.
The main shaft carries lengthy inscriptions on the west-northwest (290°) and east-southeast (110°) sides. On this latter side, above the inscription, there are the coat af arms of the Bathe and Dowdall families under the initials "W.B." and "I.D.".
Though the cross is over 400 years old, the inscription on the west-northwest side is still very clear. The letters are 5 centimetres high, capitals and in relief and read "THIS CROSS WAS BVILDED BI IENNET DOWDALL LATE WIFE UNTO WILLIAM BATHE OF ATHCARNE IUSTICE FOR HIM AND FOR HER SELF IN THE YEARE OF OVRE LORDE GOD 1600 WICH IUSTICE DECEACED THE XXV OF OCTOBER 1599 AND BVRIED IN THE CHVRCH OF DVLEEK WHOSE SOVLES I PRAYE GOD TAKE TO HIS MERCIE AMEN IHS".
The opposite side's inscription is more weathered and occupies the bottom half of the shaft. It reads "IHS MARIA AMEN HAILE MARIE FVLL OF GRACE OVRE LORD IS WITH THE HAILE SWETE VIRGIN THE BLESSED MOTHER OF GOD THE VERY EXCELLENT QVEN OF HEAVEN PREYE FOR VS POORE SOVLES AMEN IHS".
The other two sides of the shaft are plain.
The collar has the shape of an octahedron truncated on both ends. The north-northeast side is damaged. The upper half of the collar is decorated with floreal motifs. The lower part has angels holding triangular shields at each corner. On the main sides the space between the angels' wings are filled with clovers and oak leaves, on the other sides there is a crowing cock.
The upper shaft carries figures on all sides. On the west-northwest side there's a crucifixion. An alleged Virgin with the Child is on the east-southeast side, but the lichen is covering the figure which is also very weathered. The other two sides carry female figures in long robes holding shields with both hands.
This portion of the cross had probably broken in two, a horizontal fracture runs all around it halfway its height.

The cross stands on a plinth placed in modern times with an Irish inscription that reads that the cross had been restored in 1936 by the Meath County Council.

The cross is along a rather busy road with no enough space to take photo from the west.


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