At the heart of this Victorian church sits a 17th century marble font, standing 1.16 metres tall and serving as a tangible link to the area’s earlier religious heritage. The font’s octagonal shaft bears the inscription “EX: DONO R:A 1681” carved in false relief on its squared upper section, along with a quartered coat of arms beneath, suggesting it was gifted by someone of considerable standing in the local community.

The craftsmanship of this font reveals the skill of its creators, with its sixteen-sided bowl tapering elegantly at the base and a square base featuring four raised bosses on the corners of its octagonally chamfered upper surface. According to local historian Lucas, this font likely originated from Carrickart’s first church, which was constructed around 1674 or 1675. That original church has long since vanished; its site now forms part of the surrounding graveyard, leaving only this beautifully carved font as evidence of earlier worship on these grounds.

The font’s survival and relocation to the newer church speaks to the continuity of religious practice in Carrickart across the centuries. While the Victorian church that houses it may seem relatively modern by Irish standards, this marble font connects today’s visitors to a time when the area’s Protestant community was first establishing itself in this corner of Donegal, just decades after the Plantation of Ulster had begun reshaping the religious and cultural landscape of the region.