Cross-slab, Disert, Co. Donegal
In the quiet grounds of a graveyard at Disert in County Donegal lies a piece of Ireland's early Christian heritage that has, unfortunately, gone missing.
Cross-slab, Disert, Co. Donegal
The graveyard itself sits within the boundaries of an ancient ecclesiastical enclosure, marking this spot as a place of religious significance that likely dates back centuries. These types of enclosed graveyards are common throughout Ireland, where early Christian communities established their churches and burial grounds within defined sacred spaces.
What makes this particular site noteworthy is the story of a small cross-inscribed stone slab that once stood amongst the weathered headstones. According to locals familiar with the area’s history, this carved stone was removed from the graveyard at some point in the past, though exactly when and by whom remains unclear. The slab would have been an important example of early Christian stone carving in Donegal; these cross-slabs typically date from the early medieval period and served as grave markers, boundary stones, or devotional monuments.
The current whereabouts of the Disert cross-slab remain unknown, adding it to the long list of Irish antiquities that have been displaced from their original contexts over the years. Whether it was taken for safekeeping, sold to a collector, or simply moved and forgotten, its absence leaves a gap in the archaeological record of this historic graveyard. The site itself continues to serve as a reminder of the area’s long Christian tradition, even as one of its notable features remains lost to time.





