Fassaroe Cross
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County Wicklow, Ireland
| Fassaroe Cross | |
|---|---|
| Native name Ardchros an Fhásaigh Rua (Irish) | |
| St. Valery's Cross | |
 | |
| Type | High cross |
| Location | Fassaroe, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°11′46″N 6°08′26″W / 53.195977°N 6.140506°W |
| Area | Bray River Valley |
| Height | 1.42 metres (4.7 ft) |
| Built | AD 1150–1200 |
  Location of Fassaroe Cross in Ireland | |
| Official name | Fassaroe |
| Reference no. | 337[1] |
Fassaroe Cross, also called St. Valery's Cross, is a high cross and National Monument located near Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland.[2]
Fassaroe Cross is located to the west of Bray, just off the Berryfield Lane roundabout, 500 m (550 yd) northwest of the Bray River.
History
The cross originally stood at Ballyman (about 1.6 km (0.99 mi) NNW of the present site), and is believed to have been carved in the late 12th century. Other similar crosses in the Rathdown area are located at Rathmichael, Killegar and Shankill, and are collectively known as the "Fassaroe crosses"; they were probably carved by the same mason.[3]
According to the English writer Anne Plumptre (1760–1818), who stayed with the Walker family at St. Valery in 1814–15, the cross was brought from a glen to Fassaroe, and stood originally in the center of a little paddock, round which runs the plantation. Pilgrims travelled from miles around and wore many paths down to the cross.[4]
