Slane Abbey Cross

Slane Abbey Cross.

Above the village of Slane, the first Easter fire was lit by St. Patrick in 433 to symbolize the arrival of Christianity to Ireland.  A monastery was built on the Hill of Slane in the 6th century, but little is known about it.  The ruins atop the hill today, are what remain of a Franciscan friary and college, having been ravaged in turn by Vikings, Normans, and Cromwell’s troops.  This cross design was developed and inspired by a cross at the present-day ruins. 

The shamrocks, of course, are a symbol of Ireland and seem to represent “everything Irish”.  The heart and rays streaming from it represent Christ, the Light of the World.  The small bosses of spirals represent spiritual growth.  Along the sides of the shaft we have added a well-known Irish blessing.  “May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks.”

McHarp products are made of clay/ceramic. All McHarp artwork and crosses are hand-crafted and inspired by designs from antiquity. Each piece, based on an actual artifact or standing stone in the Celtic world, is accompanied by a tag in which the time period and culture are described.

Co. Meath, Ireland

8 1/2" x 4 1/4"

Due to the hand casting and proprietary staining process, each of my plaques is unique. Each cross comes with a hanger embedded in the stone. The cross comes with a descriptive tag describing the original stone, explanation of the design or information on where the cross is located.

Handmade products – Images may vary slightly from actual products.