This active burial ground, recently extended to serve the local community, sits atop what archaeologists believe to be an early ecclesiastical settlement dating back to the 7th century. The site represents a remarkable continuity of sacred use spanning well over a millennium, where modern graves share the ground with ancient ruins.

Within the graveyard walls stand the weathered remains of a medieval church, its stone walls bearing witness to generations of worship. Nearby, St Catherine’s Well, sometimes known as Tobar na Congbhála, continues to draw visitors seeking its reputed healing waters. Local tradition holds that religious stations are still performed at the well, maintaining customs that likely stretch back centuries. According to folklore collected in 1936, when a landlord once attempted to close the well, it miraculously burst forth again, refusing to be contained.

The site exemplifies the layered nature of Irish sacred landscapes, where pre-Christian traditions of holy wells merged seamlessly with early Christian practice. The archaeological evidence suggests this was an important religious centre in medieval Donegal, serving the spiritual needs of the surrounding community for over 1,300 years. Today, as both an active graveyard and a place of historical pilgrimage, Conwal represents an unbroken thread connecting contemporary Ireland to its early medieval past.