Church, Drumnasillagh, Co. Donegal
In the quiet countryside of Drumnasillagh, County Donegal, a rectangular modern graveyard marks the spot where a church once stood.
Church, Drumnasillagh, Co. Donegal
Though the building itself has completely vanished, leaving no visible ruins or foundations, its presence was significant enough to be recorded on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch map. The site occupies the floor of an east-west valley, surrounded by stretches of pasture land that range from poor to fair quality, typical of this part of rural Donegal.
What makes this location particularly intriguing is the landscape itself, which hints at a much older history. The southern side of the current graveyard sits atop a curious circular mound, roughly 50 metres in diameter and rising to just over 3 metres at its highest point. This raised ground extends beyond the western wall of the cemetery, suggesting the modern burial ground was deliberately placed upon this pre-existing earthwork. Such circular raised areas often indicate early Christian ecclesiastical sites in Ireland, where churches were frequently built within or upon earlier ringforts or specially constructed circular enclosures.
The complete absence of any church remains above ground speaks to the passage of time and perhaps the recycling of stone for other local building projects, a common practice throughout Ireland’s history. Today, only the graveyard serves as a memorial to the sacred nature of this place, continuing its role as a burial site whilst the church that once served the local community has faded entirely from the physical landscape, preserved only in historical maps and archaeological records.





