The high cross is the most impressive of all Irish monuments. In Ireland the

Celtic Cross served as an assembly point and also as a reference model of the

scriptures. By the 8th century large stone crosses were standing in the precincts

of monasteries in many parts of the country. Celtic crosses are different from

other crosses because the arms are joined by great arcs of stone which give

the impression of a ring or wheel.

Some explanations as to the shape of the cross are,

(1) The circle represented the female, and the cross the male.

(2) When the first Christian missionaries held up the cross to the sun, the

ancient pagan symbol. The image it created was the Celtic Cross.