Ecclesiastical enclosure, Dún Lúiche Íochtarach, Co. Donegal

Ecclesiastical enclosure, Dún Lúiche Íochtarach, Co. Donegal

At the southern base of Errigal mountain, beside the Devlin river and the southeastern end of Dunlewy Lough, lies the remains of an early ecclesiastical enclosure.

Ecclesiastical enclosure, Dún Lúiche Íochtarach, Co. Donegal

The site occupies level ground in what is now wet but fair pasture, its subcircular boundary still faintly visible as the remnants of an old stone wall. Measuring roughly 40 metres north to south and 35 metres east to west, this ancient religious site would have once formed a distinct sacred space in the landscape of County Donegal.

Within the enclosure, various structures hint at its former religious significance. The western part contains the foundations of a stone building, now standing just 30 centimetres high, which measures 8 metres by 5 metres internally and features openings in both its north and south walls. The southeastern quadrant is scattered with stones, amongst which stands a particularly notable cross-slab on a low mound. This stone, half a metre tall and bearing a grooved cross on its western face, displays an intricate design with forked extremities on the arms and shaft, whilst its centre features a small depression surrounded by two concentric circles. Just south of the cross, two standing stone slabs remain upright, with a semicircular arrangement of loose stones partially encircling the cross-slab’s southern side.



Historical records from the Ulster Journal of Archaeology in 1857 mention four circular buildings within the enclosure, each approximately 14 feet in diameter, located to the south and southeast of the centre. Though these structures are no longer clearly visible, they suggest the site once supported a small religious community. The combination of ecclesiastical buildings, the decorated cross-slab, and standing stones all point to this location’s importance as an early Christian site, likely dating from the medieval period when such enclosed religious settlements were common throughout Ireland.

Rated 0 out of 5

Good to Know

Tags

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of IrishHistory.com
IrishHistory.com
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Ecclesiastical enclosure, Dún Lúiche Íochtarach, Co. Donegal. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 50 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Dún Lúiche Íochtarach, Co. Donegal
55.01727472, -8.11322005
55.01727472,-8.11322005
Dún Lúiche Íochtarach 
Ecclesiastical Sites 

Related Places