Burial ground, Glengad, Co. Donegal
On a small raised promontory in Glengad, County Donegal, stands a solitary reminder of an ancient burial ground known as Coolkill.
Burial ground, Glengad, Co. Donegal
The site, marked on 19th century Ordnance Survey maps, is now represented by a single cross-inscribed standing stone that rises 1.2 metres from the earth. This weathered sentinel, measuring just 15 centimetres thick and oriented along a north-south axis, bears a simple cross carved into its western face; a Christian symbol that likely dates from the early medieval period when such markers were common throughout Ireland.
The stone occupies a naturally defensive position, surrounded by cliffs to the north and a sharp drop to the west, suggesting this spot was deliberately chosen for its commanding views and isolation. While the burial ground itself has left no visible trace above ground, the presence of this inscribed stone indicates this was once a place of some importance to the local community, possibly serving as a cemetery for several centuries before falling out of use.
The site was first formally documented by antiquarian D.L. Swan in 1949, and later included in the comprehensive Archaeological Survey of County Donegal compiled in 1983. Though easily overlooked today, this modest monument represents countless untold stories of the people who once lived, died and mourned in this corner of Donegal, their only memorial a rough-hewn stone bearing the simplest of Christian symbols.





