Kilnaruane Pillar Stone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kilnaruane Pillar Stone |
|
|---|---|
| Native name Irish: Cill na Rómhán |
|
| Bantry Pillar Stone, St. Brendan's Stone | |
View of northwest face
|
|
| Type | high cross remnant |
| Location | Kilnaruane, Bantry, County Cork, Ireland |
| Height | 2.13 m (7 ft) |
| Built | 8th century AD |
| Official name: Kilnaruane/Bantry Pillar Stone Shaft of High Cross | |
| Reference no. | 436 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Kilnaruane Pillar Stone is a tall, carved stone pillar. It is an important National Monument located in County Cork, Ireland. This ancient stone is a remnant of what was once a large high cross.
Contents
Where to Find the Kilnaruane Stone
The Kilnaruane Pillar Stone is about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) southwest of Bantry. You can find it on top of a small hill called a drumlin. It stands inside a square fenced area in a field.
History of the Ancient Pillar
A monastery might have been started here by Brendan in the 6th century AD. This was a place where monks lived and prayed.
The stone pillar itself was put up in the 8th or 9th century AD. The name "Kilnaruane" might mean "Church of the Romans." This could refer to a group that followed the Roman way of figuring out the date for Easter. This was a big disagreement in the early Middle Ages.
It's possible that the monastery here was destroyed by a Viking attack long ago.
What the Kilnaruane Stone Looks Like
The Kilnaruane Pillar Stone is a thin stone pillar. It stands about 2.1 meters (7 feet) tall. It is made from a type of rock called schist.
Carvings on the Northeast Side
On the northeast side of the stone, you can see several interesting carvings:
- A Celtic knot: This is a beautiful, tangled design with no clear start or end.
- An orans figure: This is a carving of a person praying with their arms raised.
- A Greek cross: This is a cross with four arms that are all the same length.
- Saints Anthony the Great and Paul the Hermit: These are two important Christian saints. The carving shows them meeting in the desert. A raven is flying down from the sky with a loaf of bread to feed them.
Carvings on the Southwest Side
The southwest side of the stone also has special carvings:
- Another Celtic knot: Just like the one on the other side.
- Two pairs of sheep or goats: These animals have their horns linked together. This image is now the symbol for the nearby Sheep's Head peninsula.
- A currach boat: This is an old type of Irish boat. The carving shows four people rowing and one person steering. They are moving through a sea of crosses. This scene might show Brendan or another legendary figure named Cessair.
Other Features of the Stone
On both sides of the pillar, there are special slots or holes called mortises. These were probably used to attach the arms of the cross. This shows that the pillar was once part of a larger high cross. Nearby, you can find other stone pieces. These might be parts of a bullaun (a stone with a bowl-like hollow) or the missing arms of the high cross.
Images for kids
-
This drawing shows the skin-boat carved on the southwest face.
-
Could this be an arm of the cross?
-
A close-up of the Celtic interlace design.
-
A view of the southeast face of the stone.
