The Moone High Cross, covered with scenes mostly from the Bible.
One of the panels on the 8th century Moone High Cross, in County Kildare, shows the meeting of St. Paul the Hermit and Antony
Jerome, in his Life of Paul the Hermit (section 18) describes the argument between Paul and his guest over who should eat first from a loaf of bread: "having returned thanks to the Lord, they sat down together on the next to the spring of clear water. Then a dispute arose as to who should break the bread, and nearly the whole day until the evening was spent in the discussion. Paul urged the obligations of hospitality, Antony argued on the basis of age. Eventually they decided that each should grasp the loaf on the side nearest to himself, pull towards him, and keep the part left in his hands."
The oratory at Brendan's monastery in Clonfert was probably as simple as the famous Gallarus Oratory, on the Dingle Peninsula, though early churches were not all made from stone. The date and purpose of the Gallarus Oratory have been disputed, but Tomaás Ó Carragáin, Churches in Early Medieval Ireland: Architecture (2010) considers it one of a number of drystone churches built sometime between 700 and 1100.
Navigatio Brendani 2.1:
conclūsit sē in ūnō ōrātōriō.
ad īnsulam cuiusdam sānctī patris, nomine Aende (3.2). St. Enda (died c. 530) is said to have founded the first monastery in Ireland, on Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. The surviving oratory dates to the 9th century.
Īnsula Dēliciōsa ("Fair Island"). The island in the distance has been identified as Rathlin O'Birne (Rathlin O'Burne), a small low-lying island off the coast of Donegal, just past the cliffs of Sleave League.
Mons Lapidis (1.7). They sailed past the cliffs of Slieve League ("Stone Mountain"), a dramatic line of cliffs (601 meters) overlooking Donegal Bay.
ubi erat introitus ūnīus nāvis (4.2). This strikingly narrow inlet has long been identified as the place from which Brandon launched his ship. It is at the base of Mount Brandon, leading out to the sea on the north coast of the Dingle Penninsula, County Kerry. Two streams form a river about 100 yards long and fourty feet wide.
in cuiusdam summitāte montis extendentis sē longē in ōceanum, in locō quī dīcitur Sēdēs Brendānī (4.2). The mountain, now called Mount Brandon (or Brandon Head) was already associated with Brendan at the time this text was written. On the north coast of the Dingle Penninsula, County Kerry, Mount Brandon is almost 1000 meters high, and is one of the highest mountains in Ireland.
From the Kildare Town Tourist Office and Heritage Centre website (accessed 8/7/2023):
The Moone High Cross is the second tallest high cross in Ireland and it is said to be one of the best examples in the country. It is divided into three parts, the upper, middle and base. In 1893 the middle part was discovered and reunited with the remaining parts which were originally found in the ruins of the medieval church in 1835. Today, the complete cross stands at 17.5 feet (5.3 meters).
There are different scenes depicted on the cross; Daniel in the lions pit, the three children in the fiery furnace and the miracle of the loaves and fishes amongst them. The monastery is believed to have been founded by St. Palladius in the 5th century, dedicated to St. Columcille in the 6th and the cross, constructed from granite, is reputed to date from the 8th century.