Graveyard, Kilmonaster Lower, Co. Donegal
In Kilmonaster Lower, County Donegal, an abandoned graveyard sits quietly on the banks of the River Deel, its weathered stones and overgrown paths holding centuries of local history.
Graveyard, Kilmonaster Lower, Co. Donegal
The site contains scattered masonry rubble, likely remnants from a church that once stood here, marked on 19th century Ordnance Survey maps but now vanished from the landscape. While no clear structural features remain visible today, the fragments hint at the religious significance this spot once held for the surrounding community.
The location has sparked considerable historical debate, with several scholars suggesting it may have been home to a brief Cistercian foundation around 1194. However, archaeological evidence indicates that if monks did attempt to establish themselves here, they never progressed beyond the earliest stages; no substantial monastic buildings were ever constructed. The fertile arable land and riverside setting would have been attractive to the Cistercians, who typically sought out such locations for their agricultural enterprises, making the theory of an attempted foundation quite plausible.
Today, the graveyard serves as a subtle reminder of Ireland’s complex religious past, where ambitious monastic projects sometimes faltered before taking root. The site was formally documented in the Archaeological Survey of County Donegal in 1983, which catalogued field antiquities from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century. Though nature has largely reclaimed the space, the remaining stones and graves continue to mark this as a place of historical significance, even if its full story remains partially obscured by time.





