The bend itself may follow the curve of an ancient enclosure, though only archaeological investigation could confirm this intriguing possibility. The site’s focal point is the ruins of Fahan Old Church, which served the local community from at least 1622, when records note it was ‘well and sufficiently repaired’, until a new church replaced it in 1820. Today, only the eastern gable stands at full height, along with portions of the north and south walls. The surviving architecture reveals different building phases; the three-light round-headed east window with its switch-line tracery dates to the 17th century, whilst a blocked rectangular window in the south wall, with its simpler construction and different stonework, clearly predates it.

The true treasure of Fahan is St. Mura’s cross slab, standing 2.1 metres tall southeast of the church ruins. This remarkable stone monument displays sophisticated carving on both faces, featuring Greek crosses mounted on stems that create the effect of Latin crosses, all formed from broad double-edged interlaced ribbon work. The eastern face shows two birds facing each other above the cross, whilst the western face depicts two figures standing on either side of the cross stem. Along the slab’s northern edge, scholars have identified a Greek inscription of the doxology reading ‘Glory and honour to the father the son and holy spirit’, though some debate surrounds other potential inscriptions on the figures’ clothing. The slab’s triangular top and protruding arms at the crosspiece level demonstrate the skill of its early medieval creators.

The site contains other intriguing features that hint at its long sacred history. A small carved wheeled cross slab sits built into the graveyard’s outer wall, remarkably similar to another found near Clonca. Opposite this, another stone pierced with a 14.5 centimetre hole is embedded in the wall; such holed stones often held religious or folk significance in Irish tradition. About 350 metres northwest of the churchyard, close to the lough shore, a holy well dedicated to St. Mura continues to mark this landscape as sacred space, connecting the modern visitor to centuries of pilgrimage and devotion in this sheltered valley between Collan Hill and Carrick Hill.