Originally identified as a prehistoric chamber tomb or dolmen by antiquarians like Borlase in 1897, this ancient monument took on new significance during Ireland's Penal era. According to Ordnance Survey records from the 1830s, local Catholics transformed this megalithic tomb into a secret altar where Mass was celebrated outdoors, away...
Penal Mass station, Baile Na Bó, Co. Donegal
Originally catalogued by William Copeland Borlase in 1897 as a dolmen, this ancient feature was later reclassified as a chamber tomb by Lord Killanin and Michael Duignan in their archaeological surveys of the 1960s. The monument consists of large stone slabs arranged in a distinctive formation typical of megalithic construction,...
Penal Mass station, Kill (Dunfanaghy Ed), Co. Donegal
Initially catalogued by Borlase in 1897 as a possible dolmen, this masonry structure was later reclassified as a 'prehistoric chamber tomb' by researchers Killanin and Duignan in the 1960s. However, the truth behind this enigmatic feature may be far more recent; according to an Ordnance Survey Name Book from 1905,...
Cross-slab, Reachlainn Uí Bhirn, Co. Donegal
The piece had become dislodged from the drystone structure built into the wall, revealing what appears to be part of an elaborate early Christian cross slab. Measuring just 20.7 by 12 centimetres and 3.3 centimetres thick, this small fragment offers a tantalising glimpse into the sophisticated stone carving traditions of...
Cross – High cross, Clonca, Co. Donegal
Known locally as St. Buadan's Cross, this National Monument dates from the early medieval period and showcases the intricate artistry that characterised Irish ecclesiastical stonework of the era. Though time has claimed its upper arm and head, which have been sympathetically restored in concrete, the surviving original stonework reveals a...