Tory Island / Toraigh

Tau Cross / An Chros Tau

Many of the early Coptic monks, like St Paul, would retreat to the Egyptian desert and live a life of solitude, prayer and detachment from material things. Coptic monasticism led by St Anthony in the 3rd/4th century was adopted by the early Irish monks in the 5th century. They followed the asectic tradition and established monasteries on many of the remote islands along the Irish coast, Skellig Michael, Inishmurray, Caher Island and Scattery Island are a few of the more well known early monastic sites, but during the Early Christian period almost every island along the coast had a monastery or church established on them. The Irish word Dísert or Dysert comes from the Latin word Desertum meaning desert or abandonment, to leave behind. Throughout Ireland you will come across hermitage sites with word 'Dísert' in the placename, ie; Dysert Aenghusa in County Limerick, Dysert O'Dea in County Clare. Disert is also the name of a townland in Donegal associated with St Colmcille.

Although there is no record of Colmcille visiting Tory, he is traditionally believed to be the founder of a 6th century monastery on the island. The Tau Cross a T-shaped cross named after the greek letter Tau, was also known as the Cross of St Anthony as it was associated with the Antonines, the Hospital brothers of St Anthony. I know of at least nine Tau crosses in Ireland, further proof of the connection with the Egyptian desert fathers and early Irish monasticism. Standing at the end of the pier this almost two metre high cross was carved from a single block of mica slate. The stone must have been imported it's not local to Tory. The other eight Tau Crosses in Ireland, can be found at Corofin, Dalkey, Kilmalkedar (2), Killegar, Tawnagh, Carrownaseer North and Ballypatrick. The east face of the Doorty Cross at Kilfenora bears the figure of a bishop in high relief carrying a volute crozier representing the Roman Church. Beneath this are two more bishops thrusting their croziers into a winged creature. One is tau shaped representing the Coptic Church and the other signifies the Celtic Church.