Archaeological evidence suggests this was once the site of Desertegny, an early ecclesiastical foundation that likely dates to the medieval period. The graveyard’s curved wall, running from east to south, may follow the line of a much earlier religious enclosure; a common feature of early Irish monastic sites where circular or oval boundaries marked sacred space.

At the heart of the graveyard stand the ruins of a Roman Catholic church, its northwest to southeast alignment typical of 18th or 19th century ecclesiastical architecture in Ireland. The building represents just one chapter in this site’s long religious history, constructed centuries after the original foundation had likely fallen into disuse. Scattered throughout the grounds are numerous crude stone crosses and cross-inscribed stones, silent markers of faith carved by local hands over generations.

Perhaps the most intriguing artefact is a cross-shaped stone northwest of the church ruins, bearing a cupmark on each face. These cup-shaped depressions, pecked into the stone’s surface, hint at even older traditions; cupmarks appear on monuments across Ireland and Britain, often predating Christianity itself. Whether these marks were carved for ritual purposes, served as primitive sundials, or held some other significance remains a mystery, adding another layer to this quietly remarkable Donegal graveyard where centuries of belief and burial practices converge.