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We continued our tour of monastic sites with a visit to Monasterboice, a small monastery from the fifth century. Founded by St. Buithe, the small monastery flourished until the Cistercians came in the 12th century. Settled among cow pastures in County Louth, the High Crosses are worth seeing despite the stench. Muirdach’s Cross, carved between 900 and 923 AD, depicts scenes from the Old and New Testaments and the final judgment of man. The cross also includes a bit of Irish humour with a carving of two men pulling each other’s beards. The Western cross, at 6.5 meters in height, is the tallest High Cross in Ireland and stands near the Round Tower. High Crosses were traditionally carved to depict stories of the Bible for an illiterate society. They were probably used in teaching and stand as a reminder of the spread of the Christian faith in Ireland throughout the monastic period. Part of the original wall still stands at the entrance to the community, and visitors can climb the steps over the wall as visiting Monks would have done over one thousand years ago.
Our journey there was chilly and short, but I was fascinated by the High Crosses and their significance to faith in Ireland. I was grateful for the placards that explained the carvings on each cross and it was interesting to see how each event was depicted. The crucifixion showed Christ fully clothed and not in pain, which was a very different image than I would have expected. I also did not expect to see fresh graves in the ruins of a thousand-year-old church. Apparently some families are still able to be buried at Monasterboice, which is interesting but seems to diminish the authenticity of the site. Overall, Monasterboice was a beautiful, yet smelly trip, and I’m glad we got the chance to study the intricately carved High Crosses.
Our journey there was chilly and short, but I was fascinated by the High Crosses and their significance to faith in Ireland. I was grateful for the placards that explained the carvings on each cross and it was interesting to see how each event was depicted. The crucifixion showed Christ fully clothed and not in pain, which was a very different image than I would have expected. I also did not expect to see fresh graves in the ruins of a thousand-year-old church. Apparently some families are still able to be buried at Monasterboice, which is interesting but seems to diminish the authenticity of the site. Overall, Monasterboice was a beautiful, yet smelly trip, and I’m glad we got the chance to study the intricately carved High Crosses.