The circular Kilkieran burial ground, enclosed by a low stone wall, forms the heart of this sacred landscape. Just east of the graveyard lies Toberkieran, a holy well that still draws visitors for stations on 5th March each year. Beside the well stands a weathered cross-inscribed slab, its Latin cross featuring distinctive fish-tail terminals on the left arm and base; this stone was discovered within the graveyard plot and relocated to its current position.

The site’s patron, St Ciarán of Saighir, was reputedly one of Ireland’s earliest Christian missionaries, possibly predating St Patrick himself. His influence stretched far beyond Donegal, with churches dedicated to him in Argyleshire, the Isle of Islay, Cornwall, and Connemara, suggesting he travelled extensively by sea during his missionary work. Local tradition holds that the graveyard marks the location of St Ciarán’s original church, with pilgrims beginning their stations at what locals call “the altar”, a stone structure within the enclosed plot.

Adding to the site’s mystique are two curious features: St Ciarán’s Bed, a natural rock slab northeast of the graveyard, and a boulder 11.5 metres north that bears a carefully carved rock basin measuring 44cm by 39cm and 10cm deep. These elements, scattered across the rocky outcrop, create a ritual landscape that has endured for centuries. Writing in 1936, local historian Ó Muirgheasa noted that the continuing practice of stations at the well proved the connection to St Ciarán of Ossory, whose feast day falls on 5th March, maintaining a thread of devotion that likely stretches back over 1,500 years.