This small island, situated roughly 500 metres from the Donegal coast, shelters the ruins of two medieval churches, St Mary’s and St Connell’s, alongside a fragment of a high cross and several intricately carved cross slabs. The entire complex, designated as National Monument No. 658, represents one of Ireland’s most significant early Christian sites, preserved in the island’s good pasture land.

Among the monuments, one cross slab stands out for its exceptional artistry and mysterious imagery. Measuring 1.2 metres tall and decorated on both sides, this stone tells enigmatic stories through its carved figures. The eastern face displays a cross with expanding limbs, filled with intricate interlace patterns and flanked by figures reminiscent of those found on the Drumhallagh Cross. Below, two monk-like figures with extended arms bow their heads over what appears to be an altar, suggesting a scene of religious devotion or ritual.

The western face reveals an equally fascinating narrative, featuring a swan, human figures, and most intriguingly, a horse drawing a wheeled vehicle with indistinct forms, possibly human, visible atop the wheel. This particular scene bears striking similarity to carvings on the famous Cross of the Scriptures at Clonmacnoise, suggesting connections between these distant monastic sites. The presence of such sophisticated iconography on this remote island speaks to Inishkeel’s importance as a centre of learning and devotion during Ireland’s medieval period, when monks sought isolation on islands to pursue their spiritual calling whilst maintaining artistic traditions that connected them to the broader Christian world.