Bullaun stone, Glebe, Cloghan, Co. Donegal
In the townland of Kilteevoge, County Donegal, the remnants of an old parish church tell a story of centuries of worship and community life.
Bullaun stone, Glebe, Cloghan, Co. Donegal
The church owes much of its surviving form to a devoted widow who rebuilt it in 1691, following the death of her husband Thomas Davies. Her generosity is forever recorded on a silver communion plate she donated to the parish, a tangible reminder of the personal devotion that sustained these rural churches. The building underwent further restoration in 1733 and continued to serve the local community for another 144 years until St. John’s Church was built at Glenmore between 1877 and 1879.
Today, visitors to the site will find substantial ruins measuring 15.7 metres by 7.3 metres internally, constructed from rubble stone with distinctive ashlar quoins; these corner stones are composed of narrow blocks set vertically, a building technique that helped strengthen the structure’s corners. The eastern gable wall, though reduced to just 1.5 metres in height, has been incorporated into the western boundary of the graveyard mound that surrounds the church. Atop this wall, set in concrete beside a modern gap that now provides access through the ruins, sits a bullaun stone, also known as a rock basin. These hollowed stones, found at many Irish ecclesiastical sites, were typically used for grinding grain or herbs, or sometimes held holy water for blessing purposes.
The church ruins stand within their historic graveyard, a peaceful spot that continues to serve as a reminder of the generations who worshipped here. From its medieval origins through its 17th century rebuilding and 18th century restoration, Kilteevoge Old Church represents the continuity of faith and community in rural Donegal, its weathered stones bearing witness to nearly four centuries of documented history and likely many more before that.





