What is recorded here

Two cat-headed beasts face each other on a broken stone in the Mucros rockery, their tails curling into vine-leaves and a small stem emerging where their forelegs touch. The carving belongs to the fifteenth or sixteenth century and came from Magherabeg Friary, joining a similar fragment preserved at Ramelton. Whatever building they decorated has vanished, but the beasts still meet across the damage, turning loss into a small act of continued making.

In the rockery at St. Ernan's House is a small damaged block, 34cms by 26cms, on which is carved, in relief, two opposing beasts with conjoined cat-like heads, the tails of which terminate in a stylised vine-leaf. A small stem and vine-leaf springs from the touching fore legs. The decoration is of 15th/16th century character. There is a remarkably similar piece at the Church of Ireland parish church in Ramelton (DG046-005002-). An ink sketch of another carved fragment from St. Ernan's (now missing) is preserved in the OS Memoirs in the RIA. Both pieces were brought there from Magherabeg Friary (DG099-010001-) (OS Memoirs). The above description was derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century.' Compiled by: Brian Lacey with Eamon Cody, Claire Cotter, Judy Cuppage, Noel Dunne, Vincent Hurley, Celie O'Rahilly, Paul Walsh and Seán Ó Nualláin (Lifford: Donegal County Council, 1983). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated. Date of upload: 22 September 2008

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