Bullaun stone, Kill (Largymore Ed), Co. Donegal
In the townland of Kill in County Donegal, the remnants of an ancient graveyard tell a story of destruction and discovery that stretches back centuries.
Bullaun stone, Kill (Largymore Ed), Co. Donegal
According to historical records from 1847, this burial ground, known locally as ‘Kill old graveyard’, had already vanished from the landscape by that time. The site’s demise revealed a fascinating glimpse into its past; human bones and stone coffins were unearthed during excavations, suggesting this was once a significant burial place for the local community.
What makes this lost graveyard particularly intriguing is the description of ‘great standing stones’ that once enclosed the site. While no definitive traces of these monumental stones remain today, a short line of boulders in the area might represent the last vestiges of this ancient boundary. The original enclosure would have marked this as a sacred space, separating the realm of the dead from the surrounding farmland that now dominates the gently sloping fields leading down to the sea.
Perhaps the most tangible link to this site’s sacred past lies in a field to the west, where a bullaun stone; a boulder with a deliberately carved rock basin; still stands. These carved stones were typically used for grinding grain or herbs, though many were later adopted for Christian ritual purposes, holding holy water or being associated with local saints. This surviving artefact serves as a silent witness to the centuries of human activity that once flourished here, from possible prehistoric origins through to its eventual abandonment and destruction before the mid-19th century.





