| Corpus Refs: | Macalister/1949:933 Okasha/Forsyth/2001:Lismore 1 |
| Site: | LISMR |
| Discovery: | in/on structure, 1820 builders |
| History: | Macalister/1949, 107: `found about 1820 in excavating for the foundations of Lismore Cathedral tower, and for a time lay loose on the nave floor'. Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 333--334: `allegedly found when the foundations of the tower were being dug ... presumably in or before 1827, the date of the erection of the tower. Cotton, however, on his arrival in Lismore in 1834 on appointment as Dean, found stones 1 and 4 [LISMR/1 and LISMR/4] re-used as modern headstones in the graveyard. They were inverted and buried in the earth so that no letters were visible. Cotton had them placed inside the cathedral for safety ... In July 1841 Windele visited Lismore but did not see the stones ... However, he later had a lithograph made of stones 1, 2, 3 and 4. This lithograph is dated 1849 and states that the stones were then `Lying in the Nave' .. but by 1912 they, along with stone 5 [LISMR/5], were `set in the west wall' ... presumably in their present position'. |
| Geology: | Macalister/1949, 108: `Grit'. |
| Dimensions: | 1.02 x 0.41 x 0.05 (Okasha/Forsyth/2001) |
| Setting: | in struct |
| Location: | on site Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 333: The stone is fastened to the west interior wall of the cathedral nave'. |
| Form: | cross-slab Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 334: `The stone is a large natural slab of irregular shape'. |
| Condition: | complete , good Macalister/1949, 108: `The upper part of the surface is spalled: it never bore any inscription or device'. Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 334: `It is substantially intact, although it has suffered some damge at its edges. .. The surface of the stone undulates and the top end has spalled'. |
| Folklore: | none |
| Crosses: | 1: equal-armed; outline; straight; other; plain; none; outer curv; tenon; plain |
| Decorations: | Macalister/1949, 108: `an equilateral cross in a circle, with projecting and slightly floriated terminations'. Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 334: `At the bottom is a slim equal-armed outline cross surrounded by a circular frame and two concentric rings. Beyond the ring are four projections; those to the left and right are V-shaped, the bottom one is an internally divided wedge shape and the top two have outward curving 'ears''. |
| Petrie, G. (1878): | BENDA | CHTFOR | ANMAIN | COLGEN Expansion: BENDACHT FOR ANMAIN COLGEN Translation: A blessing on the soul of Colgán (PN). Petrie/1878 31, Fig. 42 reading only |
| Macalister, R.A.S. (1949): | BENDA | CHTFOR | ANMAIN | COLGEN Expansion: BENDACHT FOR ANMAIN COLGEN Macalister/1949 108, Plate XLIV reading only |
| Okasha and Forsyth (1998): | BENDA | CHTFOR | ANMAIN | COLGEN Expansion: BENDACHT FOR ANMAIN COLGEN Translation: A blessing on the soul of Colcu (PN). Okasha/Forsyth/2001 334 reading only |
| Orientation: | horizontal |
| Position: | n/a ; broad ; above cross ; undivided Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 334: `The text is complete and is incised in four horizontal lines above the cross'. |
| Incision: | inc |
| Date: | 850 - 850 (Petrie/1878) Dating not accepted by Macalister/1949, 108, or Lionard/1961. 800 - 899 (Okasha/Forsyth/2001) Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 351: `may date from the ninth century'. |
| Language: | Goidelic (rbook) |
| Ling. Notes: | Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 335: `The formula bendacht ar anmain, found also on Lismore 3, is unusual but not rare'. |
| Palaeography: | Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 334: `The text uses ... half-uncial script'. CISP: Insular half-uncial with wedge-shaped finials on some of the letters, such as L and D. There is also an F with a curved top stroke, a half-uncial G, majuscule R, curved L, Es with extended horizontal strokes and open-bowed D and B. In the case of the D the ascender bends to the left over the bow. |
| Legibility: | good Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 334: `The text is legible'. |
| Lines: | 4 |
| Carving errors: | 0 |
| Doubtful: | no |
Macalister/1949, 108, however, disagrees.
Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 335: `Colcu cannot be identified'.