Cross - High cross, Carrowmore, Gleneely, Co. Donegal

Cross – High cross, Carrowmore, Gleneely, Co. Donegal

In the countryside of County Donegal, the Carrowmore ecclesiastical complex stands as a remarkable testament to Ireland's early Christian heritage.

Cross - High cross, Carrowmore, Gleneely, Co. Donegal

Identified with Both Chonais, an early monastic site, this collection of monuments dates back centuries, though today it’s bisected by a modern road that cuts through what was once a unified sacred landscape. Archaeological surveys conducted in 2012 revealed something extraordinary beneath the surface: the remains of a bi-vallate early Christian ecclesiastical enclosure, complete with double earthwork defences that once protected this holy site.

The western side of the road contains a rectangular burial ground enclosure, its ancient entrance still marked by two jamb stones standing 1.5 metres apart near the southwest corner. Within and around this space, several intriguing features catch the eye: a flat-topped boulder that likely served as the base for a high cross, a possible cross-slab built into the dividing wall, and the imposing North Cross, a plain, ringless monument standing over three metres tall. Just outside the northern wall, these elements combine to create a landscape dense with religious significance.



East of the road, the site continues with another high cross surrounded by a small cairn of stones, possibly used for penitential purposes and noted on maps as early as 1903. An earth-fast boulder bearing cross inscriptions lies 18 metres to the south, whilst a holy well once blessed the northeastern boundary before being sealed up in more recent times. Together, these monuments form a complex tapestry of early Irish Christianity, where pilgrims once walked, monks prayed, and the faithful were laid to rest in consecrated ground that has endured for over a millennium.

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O’Brien, C. and Adams, M. 2014 Early ecclesiastical precincts and landscapes of Inishowen. Interim report of field work by the Bernician studies group 2012-2014. Unpublished report, Bernician Studies Group. Newcastle upon Tyne. Lacy, B. with Cody, E., Cotter, C., Cuppage, J., Dunne, N., Hurley, V., O’Rahilly, C., Walsh, P. and Ó Nualláin, S. 1983 Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century A.D. Lifford. Donegal County Council. Harbison, P. 1992 The high crosses of Ireland: an iconographical and photographic survey, 3 vols. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy. Bonn. Dr. Rudolf Habelt GMBH. Ó Muirgheasa, E. 1936 The holy wells of: Donegal. Béaloideas 7, No. 2, 143-62. Corrigenda 7, No. 2, 247, 1937. Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 (Reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses of Ireland. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.
Carrowmore, Gleneely, Co. Donegal
55.25613453, -7.18969558
55.25613453,-7.18969558
Carrowmore, Gleneely 
Crosses & Monuments 

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