Graveyard, Kilconnell 0R Glebe, Co. Donegal
The Church of Ireland parish church at Kilmacrenan stands as a testament to 19th-century ecclesiastical architecture, constructed between 1840 and 1846.
Graveyard, Kilconnell 0R Glebe, Co. Donegal
What makes this otherwise typical Victorian church particularly intriguing for history enthusiasts is its collection of medieval stone fragments, carefully incorporated into its walls during construction. These dressed stones offer tantalising glimpses into the area’s earlier religious heritage, serving as physical links to Donegal’s monastic past.
Set into the north wall of the vestry, visitors can spot the remains of two hood-mould stops, their tapering ends now broken away but still displaying delicate vine-leaf enrichments. These architectural fragments were likely salvaged from the nearby Franciscan friary, suggesting a pragmatic Victorian approach to recycling medieval masonry whilst simultaneously preserving these carved details for posterity. The stops would have originally framed doorways or windows in the friary, their decorative vine motifs speaking to the artistic traditions of medieval Irish monasticism.
Perhaps the most curious features are the fluted, piscina-like carved stones set high in the eastern walls. Above the porch windows, just beneath the eaves, sits an eight-fluted example with a central drainage hole, whilst a simpler four-fluted version occupies the corresponding position on the vestry’s eastern wall. These stones, resembling ecclesiastical wash basins typically used for cleansing sacred vessels, add an element of mystery to the church’s fabric; whether they served their original liturgical purpose or were repurposed as decorative elements remains an open question for architectural historians.





