Standing stone, An Baile Úr, Co. Donegal
Co. Donegal |
Stone Monuments
In the townland of Balloor in County Donegal, a curious rectangular burial ground sits quietly on level ground with views stretching north to the sea.
Measuring 26 metres east to west and 22 metres north to south, this ancient cemetery is enclosed by what remains of a grassed-over bank on three sides, whilst a modern field wall marks its western boundary. The site's most striking features are three standing stones known locally as O'Donnell's stones, which mark three of its corners like ancient sentinels. The northwestern stone rises 1.1 metres high with a compact base measuring 35 by 27 centimetres, whilst its northeastern companion stands 85 centimetres tall with a squarish plan. The tallest of the trio guards the southeastern corner at 1.45 metres high, with a base of 80 by 35 centimetres. A fourth stone, now incorporated into the western field wall, may have once stood freely as part of this group, though its original purpose remains uncertain.
The interior of the burial ground contains a relatively modern plain cross, suggesting the site's continued significance to local communities long after its original use. Archaeological investigations in 2002, conducted when the nearby road from Fanad Head lighthouse to Ballynabrocky was being realigned, revealed interesting details about the surrounding landscape. The excavations showed remarkably deep and well-developed topsoil for such a coastal location, ranging from 60 centimetres deep at the western end to just 15 centimetres where granite bedrock approached the surface, before deepening again to over 40 centimetres at the eastern end.
Whilst the 2002 excavations found no additional archaeological features in the immediate vicinity, the burial ground itself remains an intriguing monument to Donegal's past. The presence of the O'Donnell name, connected to one of medieval Ireland's most powerful Gaelic families who ruled much of Donegal for centuries, hints at the site's potential historical importance. The combination of prehistoric-style standing stones with a later Christian cross suggests this may have been a place of burial and commemoration spanning multiple periods, from ancient times through to the relatively recent past.