Ecclesiastical enclosure, Ballylosky, Co. Donegal
Marked as Kilbride on the Ordnance Survey 6-inch maps, this early ecclesiastical site in County Donegal consists of a subrectangular enclosure measuring approximately 32 metres east to west and 20 metres north to south.
Ecclesiastical enclosure, Ballylosky, Co. Donegal
The enclosure features an entrance in its northeast corner, whilst the western side sits raised above the surrounding ground level. The site occupies gently sloping grazing land that descends westward towards the Glentogher river, situated roughly half a mile south of the notable Carndonagh complex.
Just west of the enclosure stands a remarkable stone monument, rising 1.75 metres high and measuring 0.65 metres north to south, with a thickness varying from 0.34 to 0.21 metres. The western face bears an incised cross with distinctive D-shaped terminals, whilst the narrow northern edge displays a shallow, incised human face; both carvings hint at the site’s religious significance and artistic traditions of early medieval Ireland. These features, along with a nearby souterrain, form part of a broader archaeological landscape documented in the Archaeological Survey of County Donegal.
Archaeological testing carried out in July 1995, approximately 20 metres south of the enclosure, revealed little in the way of additional features. Seven test trenches excavated down to natural boulder clay or gravel uncovered standard soil stratigraphy, with one trench showing evidence of modern water management and possible attempts to fill marshy ground with boulders. Whilst no archaeological finds emerged from this particular investigation, the site remains an intriguing example of early ecclesiastical settlement in Donegal, its carved stone standing as a tangible link to the area’s Christian heritage.





