The Cross of Cong: An Irish medieval masterpiece

We recently celebrated 18 years of My Irish Jeweler. But there is a famous Irish treasure celebrating a much more impressive milestone in 2023. The intricate and beautiful Cross of Cong is a staggering 900 years old this year! Want to know more about this iconic artifact? Read on to find out why the Cross of Cong was made, what was it used for, how it got its name, and how it’s linked to the great John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara.

Why was the Cross of Cong Made?

Hundreds of years after the works of St. Patrick, medieval Ireland had shifted from a pagan country to a largely christian one - the so-called land of saints and scholars. In 1123 the then King of Connaught and would-be King of Ireland, Turlough Mór O’Connor, commissioned a talented craftsperson, Mael Isu Bratain Ui Echach (Mailisa MacEgan) who worked out of Roscommon, to create a shrine to house a relic of the true cross. This was a show of power on the part of O’Connor, and would have ensured the support of the church in his reign.

How was the cross made?

Measuring approximately 30 inches high and 19 inches wide, at its core, the cross is made of oak. This wooden base was then covered with thin sheets of worked silver, gold, a black inlay called niello, copper, brass, enamel, glass beads, and highly decorative filigree panels. These panels are staggeringly ornamental with a spectacular mix of interlace, spiral motifs, snakes, wild beasts and birds.

A sphere of crystal is set at the centre of the cross. This crystal would have acted a little like a magnifying glass. There is some evidence to suggest that the fragment of the True Cross would have been visible through it before it was lost.

Is the Cross of Cong a Celtic Cross?

Without the characteristic centre ring, the Cross of Cong appears very different to the classic High Stone “Celtic” crosses that were made in Ireland just before and around this time. But the intricate designs of the filigree metal work echo the interlace and spiral designs of many high crosses from the 9th and 10th century. They also share decorative elements common in other Irish treasures like the Book of Kells or the Ardagh Chalice. So although not a classic Celtic cross, there is a clear Irish and Celtic flavor to the Cross of Cong.

What was the Cross of Cong used for?

A huge amount of work went into making the cross. But why? What was the cross used for? Well we know that the cross was commissioned and designed primarily to hold and potentially display an incredibly valuable holy relic, a fragment of the true cross. This relic was most likely given to the High King of Ireland by Pope Callistus II. Given the importance of this relic, the cross needed to be impressive!

And that gives us its other use. The cross would have been used to show the wealth and power of the King and the church. It was made to sit on the top of a wooden pole, so it may have been used in display on the altar and in ceremonial processions. This would have established this area of Ireland as an important place of worship and learning.

And it seems to have worked! Tuam was granted the status of an archdiocese during the 12th century. And O’Connor was recognised as one of the last High Kings of Ireland, filling a gap that had been created with the death of Brian Boru, the last true high or Ard Ri, at the battle of Clontarf.

How did the Cross of Cong get its name?

So how did a cross that was commissioned by an Irish High King, was made in Roscommon, and used in an Archdiocese in Galway come to be known as the Cross of Cong? It seems the cross didn’t stay long in Tuam. It was moved to the Augustinian Abbey of Cong, in Co, Mayo. This Abbey was an impressive site that had also been founded by King O’Connor.

We don’t know why the cross was moved. Perhaps for safekeeping at a time when there were attacks and invasions of religious sites in Ireland. Whatever the reason, there it stayed at the Abbey for hundreds of years. Visiting historians and antiquarians made note of its presence in Cong in 1680 and again in 1822.

The cross eventually found its way to a museum collection in 1839. A few decades later, a dedicated Cong Priest tried to steal it, to return it to its home at the Abbey. Fr. Patrick Lavelle managed to make it out of the building with the Cross but was accosted before he boarded the train back to Cong!

Where is the cross now?

Happily you can take in the detail of this amazing work of art in person. The Cross of Cong is on display at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. It's showing its age in places, with a number of missing components, including a few of the decorative plates and the animal-headed mounts. But it's still certainly worth a visit.

Why is the Cross of Cong famous?

All you need to do is just look at it to understand. The Cross of Cong is exceptionally beautiful and indeed impressive! It is considered one of the finest examples of metalwork and decorative art of its period in Western Europe. The association with the true cross and an Irish King only adds to its mystique.

How is the Cross of Cong linked to John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara?

The Cross of Cong isn’t the only famous thing to be associated with this small but lovely Co. Mayo town. Cong is also famous as the filming location for the 1952 film ‘The Quiet Man’, forever linking John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara with Cong and its wondrous Cross.

The town is busy with visitors every summer with filming sites in ‘Inisfree’ including Pat Cohan’s Pub, the grounds of Ashford Castle, as well as the Quiet Man Museum in the centre of town.

While there, we recommend stopping at the ruins of the Abbey which is itself a treasure of medieval architecture.