Cross-slab, Cooly, Co. Donegal
In the gently sloping fields above Lough Foyle stands an ancient ecclesiastical site that tradition claims was founded by St. Patrick himself.
Cross-slab, Cooly, Co. Donegal
The heart of this sacred complex is a sub-rectangular graveyard, its boundaries marking out a space that has served as holy ground for well over a millennium. Just outside the western entrance, visitors encounter a tall, plain high cross with a distinctive ring; a silent sentinel that has watched over countless generations of worshippers and mourners alike.
Step through the graveyard entrance and you’ll find yourself amongst the weathered remains of Ireland’s early Christian heritage. Two church ruins occupy the space, their stone walls testament to centuries of religious devotion. One of these structures continued serving the local community as a parish church throughout the medieval period. Nearby stands what archaeologists believe to be a mortuary house or tomb shrine, a small building that would have held particular significance for medieval pilgrims visiting this holy site.
Amongst the gravestones and monuments, keen-eyed visitors might spot a rather modest but historically significant artefact: a damaged cross slab standing just 59 centimetres tall. Though time has not been kind to this stone, careful examination reveals the faint outline of a ring-headed cross carved in relief, with only the lower right section of the ring still visible. This weathered slab, positioned immediately north of an ancient bullaun stone, represents yet another layer in the complex story of this remarkable site, where centuries of faith, death, and remembrance have left their mark on the Donegal landscape.
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Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 (Reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses of Ireland. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.
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.
Leslie, J. 1937 Derry clergy and parishes. Enniskillen.
Herity, M., Kelly, D. and Mattenberger, U. 1997 List of Early Christian cross-slabs in seven north-western counties. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 127, 89-124.





