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Carndonagh Donagh Church Carved Lintel

Architectural fragment
Carndonagh Donagh Church Carved Lintel
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What is recorded here

Donagh Church stands on the east slope of Crocknakilladerry Hill, guarding one of Donegal’s oldest religious centres. A small carved stone leans against its south wall, bearing a wheeled cross, shadowy figures and interlacing lines from an earlier lost church. The building has changed twice since that stone was cut, yet the cross still turns in the mind like a wheel beneath the grass.
The Carndonagh complex (National Monument number 271) is the site of one of the main early ecclesiastical centres in Donegal. It consists of a modern graveyard (DG011-035007-) surrounding the 18th century Church of Ireland church. The W entrance of the church consists of a reused 15th-century door with pointed head (DG011-035002-). To the S of this doorway and lying against the church wall is a small carved stone (DG011-035003-) 1.22m long × 0.24m high and 0.25m thick. On the face of this is a central wheeled cross, three or four figures on the left and interlacing on the right. It is, presumably, a lintel from an earlier church (DG011-035001-). The complex of monuments is situated on the E slope of Crocknakilladerry Hill in relatively good land sloping E to the Glentogher river on the edge of Carndonagh town. 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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Photo: Andreas F. Borchert · CC BY-SA 4.0