Celtic art in Pagan and Christian times

John Stuart Mill · en
There is only a single example of a processional cross belonging to the
Celtic Church now in existence, namely, the Cross of Cong[407] in the
Museum of the Royal Irish Academy at Dublin. It is 2 feet 6 inches high
by 1 foot 6¾ inches across the arms by 1¾ inches thick. The cross is
of oak covered with copper plates, and has a boss of rock-crystal in
the centre, beneath which the portion of the true cross was enshrined.
The outer margin of the cross is formed by a roll moulding of silver,
with eighteen small enamelled knobs at intervals to emphasise the
cuspings of the outline of the cross. The face of the cross within the
margin is divided into two rows of panels by a narrow longitudinal
band in the middle of the arms, with enamelled bosses of enamel in
relief and circular silver discs alternately marking the points where
the cross-bars branch off at right angles to the central stem, so as
to divide the surface into panels. The eight panels surrounding the
boss of rock-crystal in the centre of the cross are filled in with
scrolls of gold filigree-work, and the remaining thirty-eight panels
on the arms and shaft are filled in with zoömorphic designs in cast
bronze gilt, riveted to the copper plates beneath. At the bottom of
the cross is a beast’s head with a bulbous projection between it and
the socket to receive the staff. The bulbous portion is ornamented
with small bosses of blue enamel and panels of zoömorphic designs. The
general effect of the whole is extremely rich, and shows great artistic
feeling. The prevalence of the zoömorphic element in the design and
the arrangement of the panels reminds us of the croziers of the same
period, more especially the one at Lismore Castle, Co. Waterford.

[407] _Proc. R.I.A._, vol. ii., p. 113, and vol. iv., p. 572; Petrie’s
_Christian Inscriptions in the Irish Language_, vol. ii., p. 118; Miss
M. Stokes’ _Early Christian Art in Ireland_, p. 108; and _Journ. R.
Soc. Ant. Ireland_, vol. xxxi. (1901), p. 40.

The inscriptions on the Cross of Cong, of which the first is in Latin
(twice repeated) and the remaining four in Irish, may be thus rendered
in English:—

    (1) “This Cross covers the Cross on which the Saviour
         of the World suffered.”
    (2) “Pray for Murdoch O’Duffy, the Senior of Ireland.”
    (3) “Pray for Turloch O’Connor, for the King of
         Ireland, for whom this shrine was made.”
    (4) “Pray for Donnell M’Flannagan O’Duffy, for the
         Bishop of Connaught, for the successor of Coman and
         Ciaran, under whose superintendence this shrine was made.”
    (5) “Pray for Maeljesu MacBratdan O’Echan, who made
         this shrine.”