The wall itself forms an almost circular enclosure, measuring roughly 30 to 35 metres across, and appears to trace the footprint of a much older boundary, though little evidence of the original structure remains. The circular pattern breaks on the northern side where the graveyard was extended and a modern church built around 1788, but at the heart of this ancient space stand the evocative ruins of Lettermacaward Old Church.

This small medieval church, measuring just 5.6 by 9.15 metres internally, tells a story of changing fortunes in rural Irish religious life. Historical records from 1622 describe it as a modest chapel, but by the mid-17th century it had already fallen into disrepair and was never restored; instead, the community built their new place of worship alongside the old ruins. The construction itself reveals much about its age and character: built from split stone, rubble and mortar, its walls still stand to varying heights, with the eastern gable reaching 2.4 metres. The architectural details, including a wide central window with splayed openings in the east wall and a smaller, partially blocked window on the south side, both show evidence of their original timber frames.

The surviving features offer tantalising clues to the building’s date. The round-headed rear arch of the south window, the notably wide 1.15-metre opening of the eastern window, and traces of wooden frame fittings all point to a relatively late construction date, possibly late medieval or even early 17th century. The western doorway, now missing its wooden lintel but retaining its characteristic splayed entrance, would have welcomed parishioners for perhaps only a century or two before the building fell silent. Today, these weathered stones stand as a testament to the ebb and flow of religious practice in this corner of Donegal, where the old and new churches sit side by side in their circular graveyard, each representing different chapters in the community’s long history.