BENCHMARKS continued
M.C.
and Benchmarker have spent the Summer taking a complete holiday from
benchmark hunting. But not so Michael Byrne who has been as active
and keen as ever and has notched up several 'hits' to his credit. He
writes about one of these in particular “I noted some time ago that
you guys had recorded the 'mark on the RC church in Monkstown, and
wondered why the one noted as residing on the front of the C of I
church was "missed". As it's local enough to me, I slipped
down to have a look for it, and had to assume that it was now below
the car park ground level, as it was nowhere to be seen. Some months
later, while in that church on a Summer of Heritage open day, I
mentioned the missing 'mark to one of the ladies helping on the day.
"It's there alright" she says, "we were only looking
at it last week" and off she went with me in pursuit. We both
stood staring at the right hand corner base stone where the mark
should be, but neither of us could see anything. "There it is"
says my missus, pointing to a spot on a little ledge at the top of
the stone. And sure enough, though barely visible, there it was.
After a brief trip back to the car for chalk, the 'mark was recorded
- the one that nearly got away!”
The
thing is Michael, we must have looked for this one about half a dozen
times and failed to spot it. The excuse is that we didn't have your
missus there to point it out to us.
Below: The 'mark near the entrance to Monkstown Church
in County Dublin.
Above: Looking north across the front of the church with
the 'mark, outlined in chalk, at right.
