Celtic Crosses

Inside the former Collins Barracks, you can find the most wonderful treasures in Ireland. Indeed, the National Museum of Decorative Arts and History is home to a vast collection ranging from silver coins to dresses, military artifacts to Irish high crosses.

In medieval times, high crosses were wordless versions of the Gospel: comic books for non-readers if you wish. The images sculpted onto the crosses told important passages of the Bible. This was very important as the population was mostly illiterate and only monks had access to the scriptures. Many high crosses were destroyed during the Cromwelian wars when the Anglo-Protestants tried to eradicate the Irish-Catholic from the island: a very dark period in Irish history..

High crosses also include traditional Celtic patterns and decorations, which makes them unique in their style. The ones in the museum are replicas made from wood moulds and plaster. Nowadays, archeologists use lasers to make virtual models. Their beauty needs to be preserved for posterity.