Handcrafted St. Muras Cross of Fahan, Inishowen.

Handcrafted replica of the ancient St. Mura’s slab cross at the Abbey site in Fahan, Inishowen, Co. Donegal. The Piece measures 7″ high and 4″ wide, with a grassed compound base which highlights the hyper-realistic stonework and precise detailing faithful to the original artefact. In the ancient graveyard of St Mura stands an early carved Christian cross-slab of the 7th century CE. St Mura’s holy well stands close by the cross-slab. Amongst the monastic ruins of St Mura’s 17th century church and early Christian monastery, founded by St Columba, stands an elaborately carved cross-slab of the 7th-8th century CE. The slab is thought to have marked the grave (bed) of St Mura (550-645) who was appointed first abbot here by St Columba in 597 about the time when the saint died at Iona. The slab is slightly pointed at the top and is carved (on the front face) with intricate ribbonwork interlacing within which a long Latin-style cross rises up. At the top there a four small boses between the arms and a fifth in the centre of the cross-head. The western face has two figures at each side of the cross; they have long hair and equally long garments. There is a faint inscription which probably recalls abbot Mura or Muraghtagh, while on the east face there are some birds; the workmanship on both sides being very elaborate with thick ribbonwork, in the form of a stem, taking ones eyes ever upwards to the top of the slab itself.