Monasterboice through the Stereoscope
The following stereoviews range in age from the 1860s to 1910. Commentary is taken from H.G. Tempest, Gossiping Guide to Dundalk & County Louth, Dundalk, 1983
MONASTERBOICE:
Monasterboice, or Mainister Buite, or the Monastery of St. Buite ... is famous for its two wonderful carved crosses and its round tower. St. Buite died in 521, but we do not know the excact year of the foundation of his monastery.
St. Colmcille visited the place in 551 and marked out the graveyard, and again twelve years , on his journey to Iona after the battle of Cooldreimne.
It had a long history of abbots and coarbs to 1093, but its two most famous men were Flann Mainistreach, Lector, who died in 1056, and Muirdeach, Abbot from 890, who died in 923. Flann was renowned all over Ireland for his learning and teaching. His histories and poems still survive and are "amongst the most valuable remains of early Irish literature". The Annals, in recording his death, describe him as the "last sage of the Gaedhil, both in reading and history".
Muirdach Mac Domhnall, a member of the O Domhnaills of the North, raised the great carved cross which still bears his name after 1,000 years. He was vice-Abbot of Armagh and Ard Maor or High Steward of the southern Ui Neill. Half a century after his death the Norsemen reached Monasterboice and seem to have settled an outpost there.
We do not know when the round tower was built, but it was burnt in 1097 and with it the priceless library. It is of an early type, built of large stones carefully fitted and passing through a considerable thickness of the wall.
The carved crosses are the wonder of the place and are amongst the finest still remaining in Ireland.
The Great Cross is 27 feet high and ... there is not a square inch of the sides, back or front, that is not elaborately carved......
This view of the Great Cross dates from the 1860s.
This view of the Great Cross dates from around 1906
... There is a portion of a third and simpler cross in the graveyard with an ornamental boss.
This is an unusual view of the North Cross, from the 1860s. It was later placed on a plinth.
.... Muirdeach's Cross is the shorter of the two great crosses, and is 15 feet in height and is the finer of the two. The front and back of the cross is divided into panels, in which are carved in high relief various episodes from the Bible or from the lives of the early saints. The centres of the heads of the crosses bear the Crucifixion and on the corresponding position on the back of Muirdeach's Cross is represented the Judgment Day.
Very early stereoview of Muirdeach's Cross, probably 1860s, possibly earlier.
Another early view of Muirdeach's Cross, probably 1860s.
This view of Muirdeach's Cross probably dates from the 1880s.
Early view of the Round Tower, Muirdeach's Cross and Church, probably from the 1860s.
This fine view of the Round Tower, Churches and Muirdeach's Cross dates from 1910.
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