Rock art, Glebe, Desertegny, Co. Donegal
On the western coast of County Donegal's Inishowen Peninsula, a remarkable panel of prehistoric rock art lies hidden in plain sight at the edge of a farmer's field.
Rock art, Glebe, Desertegny, Co. Donegal
The decorated bedrock outcrop overlooks a rocky inlet opening onto Lough Swilly, with sweeping views across to the Fanad Peninsula where Knockalla Mountain forms a dramatic backdrop. This Bronze Age artwork remained concealed beneath sod and vegetation until farm work accidentally revealed the intricate carvings etched into the stone surface thousands of years ago.
The artwork covers a roughly rectangular block of bedrock measuring about 3.2 metres east to west and 1.4 metres north to south, naturally split down the middle by a fracture that creates two distinct panels. Six cup-and-circle motifs dominate the decoration; three arranged in a neat row along the northern panel and three clustered tightly on the southern section, all interspersed with individual cupmarks and surface pecking. The northern panel features particularly elaborate designs, including a heart-shaped motif with four concentric circles, created by an unusual indentation that gives it its distinctive form. Each cup-and-circle ranges from 17 to 43 centimetres in diameter, with central cups measuring between 2 and 5 centimetres across, and many feature radial grooves extending outward like spokes on a wheel.
The carvings show remarkable preservation on the western half of the outcrop where the rock surface remains smooth and flat, whilst the eastern portion displays rougher, more weathered stone with fainter, less distinct markings. The entire surface bears evidence of the ancient technique used to create these designs; careful pecking marks are still visible across the motifs, particularly pronounced in the raised spaces between the concentric rings. These enigmatic symbols, typical of Atlantic rock art found throughout Ireland, Scotland and northwest Europe, continue to puzzle archaeologists about their original purpose, whether ceremonial, territorial, or astronomical in nature.





