The Tallest Cross

This is the tallest cross at Monasterboice (County Louth), called The West Cross or the Tall Cross. In fact, it's the tallest high cross in Ireland. It stands 7 meters (21 feet) high - the person in the photo is 6 and a half feet tall. This one has a lot of scenes, since it's so big, and most of them contain three figures. Three is a popular Christian number, especially in Trinitarian Ireland. It also features, unusually, a fully-clothed Christ in the crucifixion scene on the cross's west face.

After viewing many of these crosses (my family felt we viewed way too many of them), it became obvious that there were stock scenes found on many of the crosses - often in the same order - and that certain postures or symbols were attached to certain figures to indicate their identity.

So ends our tour of Celtic iconography. Happy Feast of St Patrick!