This subrectangular enclosure measures approximately 25 metres east to west and 15 metres north to south, with three sides defined by stone walls whilst the fourth opens directly onto the cliff face. The site has evolved considerably over time; the 1834 Ordnance Survey map shows it as a sub-circular “Old Burial Ground” with no church indicated, but by the 1900 revision, it had expanded into a long rectangular graveyard.

At the heart of the burial ground stand the remnants of what locals call a ‘church’, though it’s more accurately described as a small drystone enclosure. Three walls, each about a metre wide, form a rectangle measuring 4 metres north to south and 5 metres east to west internally, with the western end left open. Within the northeast quadrant of this structure lies a low rectangle of stones known as an ‘altar’, which may actually be a leacht, a type of outdoor stone monument common in early Irish Christianity. A particularly intriguing cross-inscribed slab stands on the altar’s western side, measuring 0.85 metres by 0.26 to 0.33 metres and bearing a plain Latin cross on its western face. A quern stone once rested atop the altar beside this slab but has since found a new home in Greencastle’s maritime museum.

The graveyard holds additional treasures, including a small stone cross near the western entrance, supported by half of a stone socket, and numerous grave markers scattered throughout the enclosure. According to the landowner, the site once boasted a second decorated slab featuring scrollwork, located north of the possible church structure, though this has unfortunately been removed in recent times and its whereabouts remain unknown. The combination of early Christian monuments, the clifftop setting, and the layers of history visible in the changing cartographic records make Kilblaney a fascinating window into Donegal’s religious and cultural past.