Clonmany Early Church Graveyard

This is believed to be the early ecclesiastical site of Culmaine (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 377). The site presently consists of a graveyard (DG010-011001-) surrounding a ruined 18th century church 14m from the SE corner of the church is a flat-surfaced stone, .3m x .52m, on which are two small cupmarks. Traditionally these are known as St. Colmcille's knee-prints (DG010-011002-). It is situated in a band of good land in generally rough pasture sloping NE to the Clonmany river. Beside the church there stood in 1600 a castle (DG010-011004-) (probably a stone house) which was inhabited by a priest called Amerson (Davies and Swan 1939, 198). No visible trace of this structure survives and its exact location is unknown. A souterrain (DG010-046----) was recently discovered in the front garden of a bungalow immediately W of the C of I church. 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