Cross-slab, Málainn Bhig, Co. Donegal

Cross-slab, Málainn Bhig, Co. Donegal

In the quiet church grounds of Málainn Bhig in County Donegal, you'll find a modest but historically significant rectangular cross-slab dating back centuries.

Cross-slab, Málainn Bhig, Co. Donegal

Measuring 57 centimetres long, 49 centimetres wide, and 9 centimetres thick, this stone monument features a carefully incised Maltese cross set within a circle that spans roughly 16 to 17 centimetres in diameter. The craftsmanship, though simple, speaks to the enduring Christian heritage of this corner of Ireland.

This particular cross-slab isn’t alone; another similar stone monument can be found nearby, suggesting this site held considerable religious importance for the local community. These markers, catalogued as DG089-014001 and DG089-014002 in archaeological records, represent the kind of early Christian monuments that dot the Irish landscape, often overlooked but deeply meaningful to understanding how faith shaped medieval Irish society.



First documented by Lacy and colleagues in their 1983 survey of Donegal’s archaeological heritage, these cross-slabs serve as tangible links to Ireland’s early Christian period. While they may lack the elaborate decoration of high crosses found elsewhere in Ireland, their presence marks this as a place of worship and possibly burial, where generations of locals would have gathered for prayer and remembrance.

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Lacy, B. with Cody, E., Cotter, C., Cuppage, J., Dunne, N., Hurley, V., O’Rahilly, C., Walsh, P. and Ó Nualláin, S. 1983 Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century A.D. Lifford. Donegal County Council.
Málainn Bhig, Co. Donegal
54.66472186, -8.79075431
54.66472186,-8.79075431
Málainn Bhig 
Crosses & Monuments 

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