What is recorded here
No visible church, no bishop's seat, no claimed founding date. Only a walled field on a valley ledge, three stone heaps, and crosses cut into slab faces. That is why it still stops people: it records devotion without naming the person who bled, prayed or carried stone upstream. The absence is not a gap, it is the shape of the claim.
A six-sided stone-walled enclosure (DG080-004001-) known as Garrai an Turas (the pilgrimage field). It was probably originally rectangular with a secondary extension to the S. It now measures 19.55m E-W and 16.1m maximum N-S. In the interior are three penitential cairns (DG080-004002-) with associated slabs. (1) a horseshoe-shaped cairn 3.85m × 4.5m, 1.46m in height. Near the centre is a slab (DG080-004003-) 1.3m × 0.35m. On its NW face are two simple crosses. (2) A cairn (DG080-004004-) 4.35m × 3.4m, 1.46m in height. Set on top of this is a slab (DG080-004005-) .65m × 0.25m. On the N face is a geometric design consisting of rectangular grooved divisions along each edge. (3) A cairn (DG080-004007-) 4.9m × 3.6m, 1.2m in height. Set on top of this is an uninscribed slab (DG080-004008-) .95m × 0.38m which might be said to have a vague cross-shaped elevation. The site is located on a ledge on the N flank of Glencolumbkille valley in fair pasture surrounded by rougher land.
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
The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.
- What survives
- Recorded monument
Places near here
Garrai an Turas Pilgrimage EnclosureEnclosure · 11 yd
Ecclesiastical enclosure in BíofánEcclesiastical enclosure · 337 yd
St Columba's CellPenitential station · 434 yd
Trá an GhleannaBeach / strand · 914 yd
Gleann Cholm Cille Eaglais na hÉireann Reachtaireachtrectory/glebe/vicarage/curate's house · 1010 yd
Glencolmcille Old GraveyardGraveyard · 1184 yd
An Trá Bheag (Trá Bheag an Ghleanna)Beach / strand · 1492 yd
Silver Strand ViewpointViewpoint · 4.1 mi
Slieve LeagueMountain / peak · 4.7 mi