Graveyard, Glen Lower, Co. Donegal
In the townland of Glen Lower, County Donegal, local tradition points to a spot where three sacred features once stood: a holy well, a graveyard, and a church known as Cill an Leabhair, meaning Church of the Book.
Graveyard, Glen Lower, Co. Donegal
Though the farm that now occupies the site bears the telling name of Church Farm, no physical traces of these religious structures remain visible above ground. The rocky, wooded terrain slopes from north to south, creating a landscape that has clearly seen significant changes since the church and its associated features were active parts of the community.
The site’s ancient past occasionally makes itself known through more tangible reminders. Farmers ploughing the fields have uncovered human bones, silent witnesses to the graveyard that once served the local population. These archaeological records, catalogued as DG045-006001, DG045-006002, and DG045-006003, represent what was likely a significant religious complex in medieval times. The name Cill an Leabhair suggests this may have been a centre of learning or manuscript production, as such dedications often indicated churches with scriptoriums or important religious texts.
While the physical structures have vanished, absorbed back into the Donegal landscape through centuries of agricultural use and natural reclamation, the site remains an important part of the county’s archaeological record. The combination of church, holy well, and graveyard represents a typical Irish ecclesiastical settlement pattern, where communities would gather for worship, burial, and the ritual use of sacred water. Today, only the farm’s name and the occasional discovery of human remains hint at the religious significance this hillside once held for the people of Glen Lower.





