Independent Councillor Kevin Callan has put forward a motion at the April Meeting of Louth County Council for action to be taken to protect the High Crosses at Monasterboice.
Louth County Council have responded that they will now enter into communications with the Office of Public Works (OPW)to begin the process.
At the Council meeting, Cllr Callan said that he was asking the Council to start communications with the OPW to see if protective covers could be installed on site to have a Perspex cover shield the crosses from rain.
“The crosses are internationally renowned and are the finest examples of Celtic high crosses in Ireland” he said.
“The British Museum created full scale plaster moulds of the crosses in 1903 and these are currently in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The copies show the substantial amount of erosion from rain water in even 120 years”.
“I am asking the council to start discussions to see if the OPW will implement a covering over the two main crosses that will allow them to stay on site.
“As this is an operational graveyard, any such measures would have to be sympathetic to the graveyard but if we do not act, the structures will continue to lose detail. The OPW are responsible for the structures as they are national monuments and are over 100 years old”.
Louth County Council have confirmed that it will enter into discussions with the Office of Public Works on the matter.
Councillor Callan’s motion reads as follows:
Requesting that this Council make contact with the Office of Public Works to request action be taken to preserve and shelter the Celtic High Crosses in situ at Monasterboice in the County of Louth.
That these high crosses, including the internationally famous Muiredach’s Cross have been substantially weathered and eroded over the past 100 years when compared to a full-scale cast that was made in 1903 and are currently at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
That the Council request The OPW consider a similar type of covering as is in operation over similar crosses at locations like Clonmacnoise and Kells.
