An ancient and unique carved cross slab in Co Donegal is in danger of being completely eroded, while the church gable next to it is crumbling.
St Mura's Cross in Fahan is an ancient and unique carved cross slab in Fahan, County Donegal but it's in danger of being completely eroded and the church gable next to it, is crumbling.
The local heritage group in Fahan has issued an appeal for support to save St Mura's Cross in Fahan and the wall which hark back to the monastery established there in the early Seventh century by St Mura.
The patron saint of the Cineál Eoghain including the Uí Neill who were among the High Kings of Ireland, St Mura died in 645 at the age of 94.
The cross was erected in his memory and is now one of the oldest in Ireland and is the only one to bear an inscription of The Gloria written in ancient Greek. The gable wall dates back to 1608 but contains stones from the original monastery of St Mura.
The Fahan Heritage group says that if the cross is left unprotected, an icon of Ireland's earliest Christian period will be lost and if the church gable is left unattended, then it could destroy the priceless cross before any conservation can take place and also damage other monuments next to it.
Over the past 100 years the carving and Greek inscription on the cross has become virtually illegible and archaeologist John Cronin has been commissioned to do a report in conjunction with the relevant national agencies to determine its future, its conservation and that of the surrounding graves.
Urgent measures are needed to conserve Saint Mura's ecclesiastical site according to the group which says the first stage must be stabilising the church gable which is being split apart by heavy ivy growth.
The group has secured a start-up grant from the Heritage Council of Ireland but says much more money is needed to preserve the 1,400-year-old iconic cross and it has set up a crowd-funding appeal "Save St Mura's Cross" to raise €15,000.
