SEPTEMBER 1999 – The Moone High Cross in Co. Kildare dates back to the 8th century and is rated as one of the most important historic high crosses in Ireland. Photo © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
Ireland has a long Christian history, also expressed by numerous high crosses that can be found all over the island of Ireland. The high cross is located just outside of the village Moone in Co. Kildare in the remains of an abbey and is probably the most beautiful and most important high cross. Yet, when we visited the site in 1999, it was quite difficult to find – we did not have mobile Internet with Google Maps, or convenient Satnav devices, just printed maps and descriptions from our guidebook. When we finally found it, it was a surprising experience, because it was so quiet and peaceful. Maybe two or three other tourists were there, a real difference to other, more popular places in Ireland.
My image of the Moone High Cross is rather unique as it could not be photographed like this today. When we were at the site, the remains of the abbey consisted of just some historic stone walls – with the cross in the center. The roof, however, was missing.
In the meantime, a semi transparent roof has been added, most likely made from plastic material, to protect the cross from further erosion. While I do understand the rationale, I like to remember the site as it was back in 1999.
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | September 1999 |
| Location | Co. Kildare, Ireland |
| Camera | Canon AE-1 Program |
| Image Source | Fuji Slide Film |
| Digital Image Source | Minolta Dimage Scan Elite II |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, AdobeRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 3585 x 2435 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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