Fassaroe Cross facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fassaroe Cross |
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| Native name Irish: Ardchros an Fhásaigh Rua |
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| St. Valery's Cross | |
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| Type | High cross |
| Location | Fassaroe, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland |
| Area | Bray River Valley |
| Height | 1.42 metres (4.7 ft) |
| Built | AD 1150–1200 |
| Official name: Fassaroe Cross | |
| Reference no. | 337 |
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The Fassaroe Cross, also known as St. Valery's Cross, is an old stone cross found near Bray in County Wicklow, Ireland. It's a special type of cross called a high cross, and it's protected as a National Monument because it's very important to Ireland's history.
Contents
Where to Find Fassaroe Cross
You can find the Fassaroe Cross west of Bray. It's close to the Berryfield Lane roundabout. The cross stands about 500 meters (or 550 yards) northwest of the Bray River.
The Story of Fassaroe Cross
This cross was first located in a place called Ballyman. That's about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) northwest of where it is now. Experts believe it was carved a long, long time ago, in the late 1100s.
There are other similar crosses in the Rathdown area. You can find them at Rathmichael, Killegar, and Shankill. These crosses are all called the "Fassaroe crosses." It's thought that the same person, a skilled stone carver, made all of them.
An English writer named Anne Plumptre visited the area in 1814–15. She wrote that the cross was moved from a valley to Fassaroe. It used to stand in the middle of a small field. People from all over would travel to see the cross. They walked so often that they created many paths leading to it.
What Fassaroe Cross Looks Like
The Fassaroe Cross is made from a type of stone called granite. It also has a stripe of quartz running through it. The cross is about 1.42 meters (4 feet 8 inches) tall. It is also about 16 centimeters (6 inches) wide.
On the west side of the cross, you can see a carving of the crucifixion. This shows Jesus on the cross. The east side has two human heads that are very old and worn. Both heads have beards, and one might even be wearing a special hat called a mitre. There are two more heads carved into the cross. One sticks out from the south edge of the ring. The other is on the northeast side of the base.
See also
In Spanish: Cruz de Fassaroe para niños
