Marked on modern Ordnance Survey maps as ‘Altars (site of)’, this location once served as a Penal Mass station during the era of religious suppression. Whilst the current OS 6-inch map clearly identifies this sacred ground, it’s notably absent from the first edition, suggesting either its later discovery or recognition of its historical significance.

The designation ‘Altars (site of)’ carries particular weight in Irish cartography. The Ordnance Survey employs this same terminology in the townland of Muff to mark the location of a mass rock, those rough-hewn stone altars where Catholic priests conducted clandestine services when their faith was outlawed. These makeshift sanctuaries, scattered across Ireland’s landscape, served communities who risked prosecution for practising their religion during the Penal Laws of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Today, this Dunaff site stands as a quiet testament to religious perseverance. Like many Penal Mass stations throughout Ireland, it would have been deliberately chosen for its concealment; perhaps sheltered by natural features or positioned where lookouts could warn of approaching authorities. The fact that the Ordnance Survey now officially recognises and maps these locations reflects a broader acknowledgement of this difficult chapter in Irish history, transforming what were once secret gathering places into protected historical sites worthy of remembrance.