Graveslab, Cashelgolan, Co. Donegal
Kilmacanny Graveyard in County Donegal sits upon a distinctive circular mound that rises up to 2 metres high and spans 17 metres across.
Graveslab, Cashelgolan, Co. Donegal
The mound’s surface rolls and dips unevenly, making its exact boundaries tricky to spot in places, whilst numerous unmarked grave stones dot its surface. The site occupies a quiet spot in low-lying fields, bordered by woodland to the south and west, with pasture stretching eastward and the sea visible to the north.
Among the various stone markers, two particularly notable features catch the eye. On the western side of the mound stands a mysterious slab pierced by a small oval hole, measuring roughly 6.5 by 4 centimetres; its purpose remains unknown, though such perforations in grave markers sometimes held ritual or practical significance in early Irish Christian sites. Meanwhile, tucked into a ditch along a field boundary southeast of the main mound, lies a weathered cross-slab measuring 1.6 metres tall with arms spanning 30 centimetres. This stone bears a simple cross carved in relief, set within a broader cross-shaped groove on one face, typical of early medieval Irish stone carving traditions.
The graveyard’s elevated position and coastal proximity suggest it may have served the local community for centuries, though the exact age of the site remains uncertain. The combination of the prominent mound, the perforated stone, and the decorated cross-slab points to a long history of burial and commemoration at this spot, reflecting the layers of religious and cultural practice that characterise so many of Ireland’s ancient graveyards.





