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. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 25 February 2015

Likely dating to the early medieval period, the Cooly Monk Stone may be associated with an earlier Christian settlement or monastic activity in the area. Its name and location suggest a possible link to local monastic traditions or early ecclesiastical use, though specific folklore or symbolic meaning remains undocumented.