What is recorded here

Half a metre of carved stone sits on the Rathmullan beach, a horned figure stretched across a cross, torn from a low cliff by the patient sea. It may have joined a larger monument now lost beneath the tide, but the cross and horns still mark the shore where the cliff gave way. The stone has been moved to the grassy verge, pulled clear of the water that keeps taking what it wants.

A decorated boulder has, since the completion of the survey, come to light on the beach just S of the town of Rathmullan. Apparently the stone was originally located in or on a low cliff, which is being eroded by the sea. It has now settled on some other boulders on the shore line. The decoration which shows a 'horned' figure in a cruciform position is c. 0.55m in length (Per. Comm. Fergus O'Farrell). It is possible that the stone originally formed part of a more complex monument. The stone has been moved to the grassy verge on the N edge of the beach. 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 revised upload: 22 September 2017

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