Cooly Monk Stone

The early ecclesiastical site here consists of a sub-rectangular shaped graveyard inside of which are a number of earlier features. The site is located on excellent land sloping to Lough Foyle to the E and is traditionally claimed to have been founded by St. Patrick (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 399; Lacy et. al. 1983, 261). To the W outside the entrance to the graveyard (DG021-008001-) is a tall, plain, ringed high-cross (DG021-008005-). Inside the graveyard are the remains of two churches (DG021-008002/003-) and a mortuary house or tomb shrine (DG021-008004-). One of the churches served as a medieval parish church (Leslie 1937, 265). An upright slab (H 0.33m; Wth 0.4m ; T 0.06m) carved in relief with a monks head with protruding ears and hunched shoulders in Cooly graveyard (DG021-008001-) was recently discovered during graveyard clean up scheme carried out in 2010. A graveyard plan drawn by the Cooley Cross Heritage Committee shows location of stone carving as number 12. The attached image (DG021-008012-_03.jpg) is a plan of the church and graveyard commissioned by the Cooley Cross Heritage Committee showing location of stone sculpture number 10 inside graveyard.

The early ecclesiastical site here consists of a sub-rectangular shaped graveyard inside of which are a number of earlier features. The site is located on excellent land sloping to Lough Foyle to the E and is traditionally claimed to have been founded by St. Patrick (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 399; Lacy et. al. 1983, 261). To the W outside the entrance to the graveyard (DG021-008001-) is a tall, plain, ringed…