Church, Mín An Ghabhann, Co. Donegal

Church, Mín An Ghabhann, Co. Donegal

Within a modern graveyard wall that traces an almost circular path measuring 30 to 35 metres across, the ruins of Lettermacaward Old Church stand as a testament to centuries of religious history in County Donegal.

Church, Mín An Ghabhann, Co. Donegal

The current wall appears to follow the footprint of a much older enclosure, though no physical evidence of the original boundary remains. The circular shape has been disrupted on the northern side, where the graveyard was extended and a new church built around 1788.

The old church itself is a modest structure, measuring just 5.6 by 9.15 metres internally, constructed from split stone, rubble and mortar. Historical records paint a picture of its decline; described as a small chapel in 1622, it had already fallen into ruins by the mid-17th century and was never restored. Instead, the community chose to build their new place of worship alongside the crumbling remains. The eastern gable, standing 2.4 metres high, features a wide central window with splayed ingoings, though its jambs and head have long since collapsed. A smaller window with a surviving round-headed rear arch can be found at the eastern end of the south wall, now partially blocked up.



The architectural details suggest this was likely a late medieval or early 17th-century construction. The flat-headed western doorway, missing its wooden lintel but retaining splayed ingoings, along with evidence of timber frames in both the windows and door, points to building techniques common in that era. The wide 1.15-metre opening of the eastern window and the round-headed rear arches are particularly indicative of this later dating. While the western gable rises to 2.6 metres and the northern wall to 1.4 metres, both are notably featureless, leaving the eastern and southern walls to tell most of the building’s architectural story.

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Mín An Ghabhann, Co. Donegal
54.84651784, -8.32527074
54.84651784,-8.32527074
Mín An Ghabhann 
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