Cross-slab, Drumhallagh Lower, Co. Donegal
In a quiet corner of Drumhallagh Lower, County Donegal, stands a remarkable cross slab that has weathered centuries of Irish history.
Cross-slab, Drumhallagh Lower, Co. Donegal
Rising 1.2 metres from a low, grass-covered stone platform, this ancient monument narrows as it ascends; 65 centimetres wide at its base, broadening slightly to 70 centimetres where faint arms emerge halfway up, before tapering to 57 centimetres at the top. The slab, just 17 centimetres thick and aligned nearly north to south, was mistakenly recorded as a standing stone on early Ordnance Survey maps, though its religious significance is unmistakable.
Both faces of the cross slab bear intricate carvings that speak to its ecclesiastical origins. The eastern face displays an interlaced cross with two standing ecclesiastical figures beneath its arms, each holding croziers that mark them as church authorities. Above the cross arms, two squatting figures complete the scene, their meaning lost to time but their presence carefully preserved in stone. The western face features a different design; a cross decorated with circular and boss motifs, demonstrating the artistic sophistication of early Irish Christian stonework.
Just two metres south-southeast of the cross lies another intriguing stone, rectangular in shape and measuring 60 by 66 centimetres. Near one end, a circular depression, 23 centimetres across and 9 centimetres deep, hints at a possible ritual purpose; perhaps it once held holy water or served another ceremonial function. Local tradition maintains that a church once stood on this level ground, and whilst no visible remains of such a building survive, the presence of these carved stones certainly suggests this was once a place of Christian worship and gathering in medieval Donegal.





