The Christian heritage of a County Meath town will be visible for all
to see in the coming weeks following a decision by Navan Town Council
to erect replica high crosses on plinths in the middle of the town.
According to local Councillor Shane Cassells, “Parts of the ancient
Navan High Celtic Cross are now stored in Collin's Museum in Dublin and
the Royal Irish Academy and the possibility of replicas being erected in
Navan had been mooted for a while.”
Last year Cassells proposed making bronze casts of the stone, which
is a segment of the original high cross from the 16th century.
The pieces were made after casts were taken of the stone by Meath artist Orla de Bri.
Cassells says that this project will restore a part of Navan's physical history in the centre of the town.
“The pieces are a fantastic link to our past and the historical
significance of putting these castings in the middle of our town is
immense. I hope that the people of the town enjoy seeing a part of our
past being brought back to life.”
“Orla de Bri has really done a fantastic job producing these replicas.”
Speaking of the town's rich Christian heritage he said, “As the town
progresses, it is very easy to lose sight of where we came from and this
has provided us with a chance to put a small piece of our history back
at the centre of our town.”
SIC: CIN/IE