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High Crosses are among the most important monuments to survive from Ireland's Golden age of Saints and Scholars. They represent the culmination of all the work done by the scholars and artisans of the medieval age. Their figure carvings illustrate the Bible story like a filmstrip. Almost all the crosses have a central theme or message. Painstakingly chosen scenes that are carefully placed illustrate this theme. Often, a scene from the Old Testament is usually placed back to back with a relevant scene from the New Testament. In this way, the High Crosses can be seen as a teaching or conversion tool. Illuminated Manuscripts were precious and in Latin. The High Crosses are in picture form and were public monuments. With one person to explain the pictures and their meanings to a congregation around a cross, the uneducated or unconverted could learn what the medieval Irish Church believed to be the foremost teachings of the Bible.
The way that Medieval Christians viewed their Universe was very influenced by the Bible. Adam and Eve was the beginning of sin, The Crucifixion was a new beginning and the end is The Last Judgment. All the other scenes make up the rest of the story. Together, the scenes on the Irish High Crosses symbolize the Universe as the early medieval Irish saw it.
 Background
Material, Make, the Masons, stylistic traits
Irish High Crosses were usually made of sandstone or granite, and were in height, between 2 and 5 metres. The choice of stone was obviously a crucial factor and most of the crosses are made from some sort of sandstone, which relatively easy to work with. In the Barrow Valley, at Moone and Castledermot, for example, the sculptor was forced to use granite and, while the colour and texture are attractive, it was extremely tough to carve. Equally robust was the hard grey limestone used for the twelfth-century crosses in Clare and on the Aran Islands. Whatever the stone, a well-tempered chisel, continually sharpened, was the mason's most praised possession. The Unfinished Cross at Kells shows that the crosses were probably removed in large roughed-out blocks from the quarries, and that the final carving happened after the block was put into place, the sculptor most likely worked on scaffolding that was constructed around the cross.
Most High Crosses consist of three separate pieces of stone, one of which, is a massive rectangular block that serves as a base (see figure 2). This has sloping sides and there is a step near the top. The second block, an enormous piece of sandstone weighing several tones, comprises the shaft and ringed cross head, which fits into a socket at the top of the base. The ring is the most distinctive feature if the Irish crosses; though it is not found on all of them. At the top of the cross is a cap, which may be made from a third, smaller piece of stone. This takes the form of a miniature house or shrine, with its own sloping roof. The taller crosses employ an extra piece of stone for the shaft, which required a joint just below the ring. On the south cross at Castledermot, Co. Kildare, a brake in stone at this point allows us to glimpse the mortice and tenon system used to link the stones. The mortice and tenon system of jointing is reminiscent of carpentry and the deep recesses within the ring must have been extremely awkward to cut. When the cross was complete, it was likely that the crosses were painted. Although no traces of pigment has yet been found, "it is known that Anglo-Saxon crosses were painted, and it would be strange if the Irish love for bright colour, so obvious in metalwork and illuminated manuscripts, was not also reflected in stone" (Stalley, 13).
One of the most interesting things about the High Crosses is the style of carving. Most of the scripture crosses are not in the Irish art tradition. The unstylized, squat human figures, for example. However, the Irish always had a tendency to make anything that they produced to have an Irish flavour. This is shown on the carvings at Monasterboice, particularly on the panel showing Christ as the King of the Jews. To emphasize his royal status, Christ is bedecked with an ornate cloak and a characteristic Irish brooch. The soldiers, who wear short trousers with impeccable gatherings, have long hair and incredible moustaches apparently favoured by Irish males in the early Middle Ages.
However, the sculpture at Moone seems diagrammatic, with the figures reduced to geometrical shapes and simple outlines. The relief is flat, almost two-dimensional. This figure style is rooted in the Irish tradition. In the flight into Egypt, for example, the head of Joseph has a profile encountered in the Book of Kells.
Historical Background and Influences
The idea of making High Crosses came to Ireland in around the ninth century, though smaller versions were already being made before this. We must imagine that the stone monuments were copied from other crosses, probably smaller in size and made from other materials, including wood covered with bronze. By the end of the sixth-century, the first hints of the High Cross were beginning to appear. At Aglish, Co. Kerry, there is a pillar-stone, which bears the symbol of the cross within a wheel and a series of Ogam markings. The next stage developed when artists made greater efforts to sculpt their stones into appropriate shapes. Two of the finest examples can be found at Fahan Mura and Carndonagh, both in Co. Donegal (see figures 6 and 7). The first of these is a three-metre high slab with a triangular peak. On it, the sign of the cross is formed out of broad-ribboned strands of interlacing. The design is not incised, as on earlier stones, but is sculpted in low relief. On one side, two armless figures are located beneath the crossbar. Their meaning is unclear, but they may represent the Christian faithful or even church officials.
Irish developments in stonework were mirrored elsewhere in the British Isles. In Northumbria, there was a similar taste for elegant High Crosses, typified by the monuments at Ruthwell and Bewcastle. Mediterranean models, however, primarily inspired their decoration. The parallels with Pictish stonework are much closer.
Very early freestanding crosses had pleasant, simple designs and many were engraved with the names of the Christian dead. The High Crosses, on the other hand, lost their funereal character, biblical scenes were introduced and were featured more and more prominently, figured scenes began to appear on the panels until eventually, in some cases, single figures dominated, usually of Christ or a revered bishop. Ultimately, the sculptor sought to reflect in stone the magnificence of jeweled metalwork.
The Ahenny crosses exhibit fine interlace and deeply carved spirals, which represent a consider development of the earliest designs of the High Crosses on the island of Iona. The introduction of figured scenes was probably inspired by French Caroligian art admired by missionary monks on the Continent. Gradually, Old Testament figure carving began to replace more abstract designs.
The art on the High Crosses not only demonstrate the great ability of the Irish artists of this period, but also the depth of knowledge of the Irish monks. They illustrate a good number of selections from the Old and New Testaments as well as the Apocryphal Gospels. From the naturalistic representation of humans on the crosses show that some of the inspiration for the crosses came from central-continental biblical artistic representations. Celtic and Anglo-Saxon artists had a tradition of stylizing the human figure. Also, the compositions found on the panels of the Irish crosses are often close to those that found on the frescoes in continental churches.
One of the most unusual aspects of the Irish crosses is the application of panels of biblical sculpture to the faces and sides of the cross. It is probably significant that this rare feature is found also on a small enameled cross in the Vatican Museums, dating from the time of Pope Paschal I (817-824).
The shafts of the twelfth-century crosses are usually covered in fine interlace and complicated animals patterns. The latter are designed in the so-called 'Irish-Urnes' style, in which, diagonally arranged beasts are enmeshed in coils of snakes. Several of the twelfth-century crosses had extra pieces of stone inserted, and one at Dysert O'Dea - now missing - comprised the outstretched arm of the bishop. But the cross with the most unusual structure is at Cashel, where there is no ring and the arms are so long that they needed vertical stays for support. The huge image of Christ filling one side, is derived from a miraculous cross at Lucca in Italy, which was copied throughout Europe in the twelfth century.
Chronology
The rare inscriptions found on the crosses reveal that the Irish High Crosses were erected in two different time periods. The majority is most likely to belong to the ninth century. These are the crosses that are rich in biblical imagery. The greatest variety of imagery is found in the Midlands (i.e. Clonmacnois and Durrow) and north Leinster (i.e. Kells and Monasterboice), where this series is likely to have originated. The other great period of High Cross production was the twelfth century, when the centers of creativity moved to North Munster (i.e. Cashel and Roscrea) and across the Shannon to Connacht (i.e. Tuam). Throughout the ninth- and tenth-centuries, there were astonishing stylistic developments to the Irish High Crosses. The crosses became larger and more architectural. The shafts were divided into panels (a tendency also noted in metalwork of the period) and an orderly and systematic iconography emerged.
A revival of crosses took place in the twelfth century, at a time when the Irish Church was going under reform. With many changes from the earlier crosses, there is not much continuity of design. The twelfth-century crosses place less emphasis on scriptural content, and tend to show Christ in high relief, more often triumphant than suffering, on one face and, on the other, a bishop or abbot who was likely to have been the local monastic founder. Also, the ring, when present, tends to be more compact. During the twelfth century, a diocesan hierarchy of bishops was imposed on the Irish Church, and it is thought that the crosses were designed to assert the authority of bishops.
Origin of the Ring
The classic format of the Celtic Cross - the free-standing cross and wheel - was adopted in Ireland. The origins of this combination are unknown. Some argue that the motif of the wheel, a widely used symbol for the sun, could have been borrowed from any one of a number of prehistoric cultures. Another popular view is that it developed out of the exchange of ideas between metalworkers and stonemasons. This theory suggests that the inspiration may have came from the processional crosses of the period.
The ringed cross is, in visual terms, a satisfying form and the shape us usually emphasized by the roll mouldings which reinforce the outline. Some scholars believe the design evolved over several centuries, with very little influence from abroad, as Irish craftsmen gradually mastered the art of stone carving. By 700 A.D., if not a century before, standing stones had already appeared, inscribed with crosses or other Christian symbols.
Other authorities believe that the rings were introduced as a technical feature to provide structural support. If the arms of a stone cross remain unsupported, there is always the danger of them sheering off under their own weight. The lower sections of the ring, it is argued, provide useful reinforcement.
But, this theory ignores the symbolic connotations of the ring. The idea of a cross in a circle had a long history before it reached Ireland. In the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. the motif was already being used by the Romans on carved ivories and sculptured sarcophagi. The circle was usually designed as a wealth, an ancient symbol of triumph, to underline the fact that Christ's suffering on the cross led to the victory of good over evil. In these early designs, it was normal for the cross to be completely enclosed within the circular frame, but: "a linen hanging from Egypt, c. A.D. 500 (see figure 4), shows an arrangement that foreshadows the design of the Irish crosses" (Stalley, 9). The ringed cross was thus a symbolic form known to the early Christians and familiar to the Irish monks. The circular form may also have suggested thought of the cosmos, demonstrating that Christ's powers extended to all parts of the world. Another explanation for the ring is that the ring represents the universe - with Christ and The Crucifixion being the centre of the universe.
Symbolism
The central theme of almost all the crosses - that bear figure sculpture - is The Crucifixion. Another important scene is The Last Judgment. Most of the other scenes can be seen as leading up to these two events - in particular, The Crucifixion. Many of the Old Testament scenes, starting with Adam and Eve but also including the various New Testament events of Christ's childhood and public life and the Passion which led him to Calvary.
Also, some of the more richly crosses demonstrate that the individual scenes could have been chosen to illustrate a particular aspect of Church doctrine. The High Cross at Moone is only one of many examples were the choice of scenes were designed to show how the Lord came to help of believers who were in peril or need, or even in danger of death, i.e. Noah's Ark and Daniel in the Lions' Den (see figure 3).
For Christian believers, Christ's suffering and death brought the promise of redemption. In scenes depicting the Crucifixion, Christ typically stands at the center of the ring, which may symbolically represent the Cosmos in which The Crucifixion is the most central event in the history of the early Church. In most cases, the two soldiers, Stephaton and Longinus, are found on either side, one offering vinegar to the dying Christ, the other piercing his side with a lance. The Last Judgment (or sometimes a vision of Christ in glory) was depicted as a counterpart to the Crucifixion on the reverse of the cross, as at Clonmacnois and Durrow. The Last Judgment on Muirdeach's Cross is especially rich in detail. A demon with three-pronged fork thrusts the damned into Hell, while David playing his harp leads the elect. Below Christ's feet are the scales of Judgment, with the Devil spread-eagle underneath. Over his shoulders Christ holds a cross and a flowering rod, a standard formula in Ireland that is also found in illuminated manuscripts. It is a curious pose, which has been traced back to pre-Christian sources in Egypt - to representations of the god Osiris. The Last Judgment can also be seen as a constant reminder to the viewer to lead a good Christian life.
Many of the Old Testament scenes, starting with Adam and Eve can be understood as prefiguring the life and death of the Saviour. The New Testament scenes leading up to the Crucifixion are sometimes arranged nearby: the Entry into Jerusalem, for example, or the Mocking of Christ. Old Testament scenes were usually selected for their 'typological' significance; in other words, for the way in which they foreshadowed events associated with Christ. Thus, Abel, who had sacrificed a lamb to God and who was slain by his brother Cain, was regarded as a 'type' or prefiguration of Christ. So too David, who saved the Israelites from Goliath; Moses, who brought forth water from the desert; and Isaac, who was placed in the altar as a sacrificial victim by his father Abraham. Sculptures of David, frequently shown with his harp, were especially popular. As the authour of the psalms, which were sang or recited almost continuously in the Irish monasteries, he was held in great esteem.
Some Old Testament events were selected because of their link with the theme of deliverance. Subjects of this type were among the first to appear in Christian art, in the tomb sculptures and catacombs of Rome. They relate to prayers in which those requested Gods help in peril or in danger of death. Thus the penitent sought help, just as God had saved Noah from the flood, Isaac from his father's sword, Daniel from the lions and the three Hebrews from the furnace. Versions of this prayer - known as the ordo commendationis animae - were employed in the Irish Church, and the scenes on the crosses reflect this use.
The individual scenes could have been chosen to portray a specific aspect of Church doctrine. Muirdeach's Cross at Monasterboice imparts the message of Christ being Lord of both Heaven and Earth. Often, scenes may be taken out of chronological context to put an emphasis on it. Also, many scenes depicting the same message can also be used for emphasis. The Broken Cross at Kells shows the importance of baptism with scenes of the life of St John the Baptist. Even more unexpected are the scenes of the desert hermits Paul and Anthony. This could have been intended to impress the value of the monastic way of life. The High Cross at Moone is only one of many examples were the choice of scenes were designed to show how the Lord came to help of believers who were in peril or need, or even in danger of death (i.e. Noah's Ark and Daniel in the Lions' Den).
Christ's public life and miracles are another prominent theme. During the early Middle Ages, miracles played an important role in the spread of Christianity, particularly in the conversion of barbarian tribes in northern Europe. The two favourites, the feeding of five thousand with the loaves and fishes, and the wedding feast at Cana of Galilee, involved bread and wine, foreshadowing the consecration of bread and wine in the Christian Eucharist.
A stress on the Eucharist helps to explain the popularity of the scene depicting St Paul and St Anthony. These saints of the Egyptian desert may seem rather obscure, but they were honoured in Ireland as the fathers of monasticism. When St Anthony, who withstood all manner of fearful torments and temptations, encountered St Paul, a raven bringing bread from heaven fed the pair. Their breaking of bread together is a reminder of the Eucharist, a point emphasized on the South Cross at Castledermot, where the scene is placed under the Crucifixion.
 Ahenny
In County Tipperary, the Ahenny Crosses can be found. The intricately carved web of geometrical and animal designs are so similar to those on surviving bronze objects of the period, that they have been interpreted as the translation into stone of metalwork crosses (Harbison, 15). The cable pattern around the edges of the crosses is definitely inspired by eighth-century metalwork. The high relief bosses imitate enameled studs or rivets. The sculptural relief found on both crosses is very powerful. with deep recesses and strongly projecting bosses and cable mouldings. The surfaces are covered with an array of decoration, much of it characteristic of Irish ornament of the period - interlace, trumpet spirals, geometrical patterns and (on the North Cross) a set of entangled men. Like structural rivets, the bosses coincide with major joints, which suggests that the cross was inspired by a prototype in metal or wood, perhaps a local altar cross of some renown. The choice of decorative motifs, including cable patterns on the mouldings, can be compared with contemporary metalwork, and if painted, the analogy would have been even more striking. A pair of animal heads trying to bite the lowermost boss on the west is particularly close to those found from Irish metalwork, and the very thick mouldings framing the cross outlines have strong echoes in metalwork. The inspiration of metalwork, so evident at Ahenny, reminds us of the potential influence of works in other media, such as paintings, wood-carvings, or textiles, virtually all of which have now been lost.
The panels on each side of the base of the North Cross can be thematically divided into two separate groups that are placed back to back with one another. One panel shows Adam being given dominion over the animals and the other shows Christ's Mission to the Apostles illustrating the words of Jesus at the end of St Matthew's Gospel: 'All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.' Taken together, the two panels can be seen to show the hierarchy of power of God, man, and animals. The two other panels, forming the second group, revolve around David's battle with Goliath, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. The north face shows David riding into the fray on a chariot, while the south face illustrates his victorious return as he bears infront of him with the decapitated Goliath riding legs first on a pony with carrion-crows already gnawing at his remains. This scene is also found on a cross-head at Dromiskin, Co. Louth. The seven figures on the west side of the base correspond closely to those representing The Raised Christ and Mission to the Apostles in the same position on the Cross of the Scriptures at Clonmacnois.
On each face of the South Cross the panel is divided into two parts by the ring. The left-hand scene probably represents Daniel in the Lions' Den, while that on the right is The Raised Christ. There are also lions above Christ, perhaps to symbolize Christ as King of Heaven as the lion was taken as the king of animals. The three other faces show horsemen and animals, and so far, no biblical scheme has been determined.
Clonmacnois Crosses 
The Cross of the Scriptures at Clonmacnois, Co. Offaly is one of the best known Irish High Crosses. The main theme of this cross is the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ. The Passion is introduced on the base of the west face with Christ's entry into Jerusalem and continues with The Flagellation (or Mocking) of Christ before the eye rises to The Crucifixion at the center of the head. The south base follows with The Kiss of Judas. The bird in the scene of Christ in the Tomb at the bottom of the shaft suggests that Resurrection is near. On the other side of the cross is Joseph's Interpretation of the Butler's Dream in which Joseph predicts that in three days the butler will receive his job again, and above that is the fulfillment of the prediction. The fact that this is back to back with the Tomb scene may suggest the correlation between the three days that it took for Joseph's interpretation to be fulfilled and the three days that Jesus predicted that he would be Resurrected. Next in the sequence is The Holy Women coming to the Tomb followed above by The Raised Christ. The conclusion to these scenes is The Last Judgment, with Christ seated in glory above. One further theme presented is that of the Church, represented by Ecclesia on the arm of the west face. The Soldiers casting lots for Christ's Seamless Garment, leaving it entire instead of dividing it up could symbolize the unity of the Church (Harbison, 42). This is related to the Traditio Clavium scene that is found on the opposite side.
On the base of the South Cross is an Adam and Eve scene and the Sacrifice of Isaac. The only biblical scene on the cross itself is The Crucifixion. The two figures above Christ's arm may represent Tellus - the personification of Ocean - and on the right Gaia - representing Earth. Once again, this symbolizes Christ as being the figure at the centre of the Universe.
Castledermot 
The crosses at Castledermot, Co. Kildare are two examples of the ascetic Céle Dé reform movement. It is unexpected that Adam and Eve is at the center of the head on the west face, which is usually the place reserved for The Crucifixion. However The Crucifixion is on the east face which could have been intended to show that it was the Original Sin which necessitated Christ giving his life for the human race upon the cross. The Apostle figures and The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes are frequently found on crosses in the valley of the river Barrow. The Paul and Anthony cycle can best be explained by the fact that Paul and Anthony can be seen as the founders of ascetic monasticism - the kind of life that the monks of the Céle Dé aspired to.
On the South Cross at Castledermot, the west face includes Christ's journey to Emmaus and the Ascension, as well as such Old Testament scenes such as Adam and Eve, David and his harp, and Abraham and Isaac. A symbolic rationale might lie behind the arrangement, but it was probably caused by the decision to concentrate the biblical scenes on one face of the cross only.
Kells Crosses 
The Broken Cross at Kells, Co. Meath, may have been one of the earliest of the Scripture series. This cross shows how a particular theme was illustrated through a choice of highly unusual scenes, and also how one face can be seen to inter-relate with the other back to back with it. If the identifications that have been made are correct, this cross has a seven out of twelve scenes which are found on no other cross (Harbison, 67). This is partially explained by the fact that a number of scenes were chosen specifically to illustrate a single theme - in this case the cleansing power of water in the sacrament of baptism. Noah was saved in water and the Israelites passes unharmed through the Red Sea, whereas others perished. Although the washing of the Christ child is not described in the Gospels (nor even the Apocrypha), it is the first cleansing of Christ by water; the second being the baptism in the Jordan. At Cana, Christ used water for his first miracle, changing it into wine. The lame man was healed by Christ at the Pool of Bethesda, and the Saviour's words to the Samaritan woman at the well, 'the water that I shall give . . . shall be . . . a well of everlasting life' (John iv, 14) have been construed in connection with baptism (Harbison, 67). The placing of the Baptism scene out of chronological order on the New Testament face (the other face places the Old Testament panels in correct biblical order) was doubtless designed to allow the faithful to see it in front of them as they knelt before the cross. It was not until the twelfth century that the number of sacraments were codified as seven and in the ninth century, Baptism and the Eucharist were seen as the only two sacraments of the Church. Moses (and Aaron) changes the waters if Egypt into Blood prefigures the change of water into wine at the marriage feast of Cana - and the transformation of the wine into the Blood of Christ at the consecration of the mass. Adam and Eve on the bottom of the Old Testament face are the first human generation, and back to back with them on the New Testament face is the Baptism, which is to be understood as a regeneration of mankind. Even in its present state, this cross demonstrated the careful planning which went into the design of these great monuments.
The Market Cross has a number of unusual representations and features. This includes the possible scenes from the life of St Peter or St John the Baptist on the east side; the three miracles in the north side of the shaft; and Daniel featuring prominently at the center of the head of the south face, in a pose prefiguring The Crucifixion back to back with it. But, what is perhaps the most unusual of all is the frieze of subjects at arm level illustrating events in the life of the desert hermits Paul and Anthony, in their efforts to overcome evil. These represent perhaps the greatest number of scenes from a Paul and Anthony cycle to survive anywhere on a single monument of the first millennium.
Monasterboice Crosses 
Together with Kells, Monasterboice, Co. Louth, represents one of the most important centres in Ireland for High Crosses, as it has two of the most significant and best preserved sandstone examples in the country, both rich in iconographical program. Muiredach's Cross gets its name from the inscription on the bottom of the west face of the shaft that tells us that Muiredach had the cross erected. The inscription also dates the cross to the year 923. Features of wooden construction can be observed on Muirdeach's Cross. The carved finials at the ends of the ridge-pole of the small house or oratory which makes up the capstone for that cross in which a wooden building the crossed beams above the line of the roof would be decorated. They are drawn in the Book of Kells' illustration of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, and occur on most of the metal-cased house-shaped shrines also.
One of the major themes on this cross is Christ the King, as illustrated on the west face. The bottom panel shows Christ as King of the Earth, mocked by the soldiers as the earthly King of the Jews, while The Crucifixion represents him as king of the Cosmos, symbolized by the ring, and supported by the presence of earth, ocean, sun, and moon. This is further emphasized by The Raised Christ showing him as Lord of the skies. While the unusual presence of four rather than the usual three Magi on the east face suggests the four corners of the earth, to whom the infant Christ is presented for the first time (Harbison, 91). Both earth and heaven are symbolized in the Traditio Clavium, with Paul receiving the Gospels and Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Another important theme is the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ, illustrated on the head of the west face and spilling over on to the arms on the narrow sides. The Last Judgment occupied the centre of the head on the east face, the ultimate climax in a series of events initiated by Adam and Eve on the bottom panel of the shaft. They share the panel with their children Cain and Abel, the latter being the first innocent victim in the Old Testament. David overcoming Goliath symbolizes good over evil while Moses striking water from the rock is one of the Old Testament events chosen for illustration on the Irish crosses to show how God helps his faithful followers from death. Through St Paul's letter to the Corinthians (1, 10.4), the scene is linked with the waters of life flowing from the side of Christ in the Crucifixion. This provides it with an eucharistic significance indicated also by the chalice at the feet of Saints Paul and Anthony at the top of the north side. Thus, the complex web of themes on this cross can be seen not only to be Christ as Lord of the Earth and the Cosmos, but also his Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension as well as the Eucharist.
One of the many surprises on The Tall or West Cross is that the two main faces do not show the Bible scenes in their correct scriptural order. This is particularly noticeable in the case of each of the bottom panels and on the case of the west face. It is perhaps explained by the desire to show Christ's greatest victory at the moment of the Resurrection from the tomb to those who would have been kneeling in prayer in front of the cross. The placing of David slaying the lion on the bottom of the east face may have been done to draw attention to the Glorification of David as one of the main themes on the shaft and head above it. Other themes demonstrated is how God helped the faithful in times of danger and those who called upon the Lord for help in their hour of need, as instanced by the long-haired Samson and the rather more unexpected Old Testament figure of Manassëh. Also on this cross are a few scenes devoted to the Prince of the Apostles, St Peter - St Peter drawing his sword, the Denial, Christ saving Peter from the waters and the Traditio Clavium - suggesting a considerable influence from Rome in the source of iconography on this cross.
Tuam
The so-called Market Cross at Tuam, Co. Galway is made up of the shaft and head of two separate crosses that did not originally belong together. One face bears a Crucified Christ wearing a loincloth, while the other shows figures flanking a bishop or abbot, who may represent St Jarlath, the founder of the monastery at Tuam. The shaft is decorated with animal interlacing, and its base bears two sets of ecclesiastical figures. On the bottom of the base is an inscription. It has, in addition, two figures standing out in high relief, one with a crozier, the other without, suggesting that they may represent the abbot and the king mentioned beneath their feet.
There are many panels delicately decorated incised in thin relief. In its original state, this cross was probably worthy of Turlough O Conor, King of Connacht (1106-56) and High King of Ireland, whose name is recorded on it. Turlough was responsible for the commissioning of the Cross of Cong (1127-36), the gilded bronze processional cross, which has animal patterns similar to those found on this cross.
Conclusion
The medieval period in Ireland was one of great achievements; not only in art, but in scholarly achievements as well. This is particularly shown in the Illuminated Manuscripts and High Crosses. They both illustrate the Holy stories. The Manuscripts use words and pictures, however, the High Crosses use only pictures to illustrate the great depth of knowledge of the Irish monks. In this way, the High Crosses are one of the most miraculous achievements of all medieval art in any Christian area in the early Middle Ages. They symbolize everything that the early medieval Irish Church knew and believed.
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