Clonca Old Church

This early ecclesiastical site consists of a sub-rectangular modern graveyard (DG012-002011-) enclosing Clonca Old Church (DG012-002001-). The surviving rectangular gabled church is a seventeenth century building incorporating earlier fragments. It was built post 1622 and continued in use until 1827 (Leslie 1937, 155; Bonner 1972, 70, 93). The remains are vested in the Office of public Works and are a National Monument (No. 25). The ruins of this single hall, 14.15m by 6.15m internally stand to original height and the E gable is surmounted by a small stone cross. The church, which has an external plinth, is built of rubble and split stone, with ashlar quoins. The latter incorporate a number of punch-dressed blocks, two of which have small chamfers and two others in the NE and SE quoins, have each a small roll-moulded arris. These fragments may be from an earlier church, although the moulded pieces could be the remains of memorials. The E gable is lit by a large, round-headed window with slightly splayed ingoings. Doherty (1891, 52) records that it was of cut stone and that many of the dressed fragments and mullions (DG012-002002-) were scattered on the ground; none of these were located during the survey. There are two smaller round-headed windows, retaining indications for timber frames in the N and S walls. The church interior retains some plaster and sections of the exterior rendering survive. Above the W door into the church is a badly weathered, carved, stone-lintel but the figures represented and unclear. The lintel is checked for a narrower opening. Set into the outside wall of the church at the NW corner is a small stone (DG012-002003-) bearing a mallet and chisel device above an inscription. Inside the church in the SW corner is a small portable bullaun stone (DG012-002004-). At the NE end of the church fixed to the wall are two medieval grave slabs (DG012-002005; DG012-002012-). In the field W of the graveyard is the stem and part of one arm of a restored, decorated, stone cross (DG012-002007-) carved from a single slab. Further W in the same field is the ringed-head of a second large cross (DG012-002008-). In the NW corner of the field across the road to the S is a holy well (DG012-002008) (M. R. Colhoun). To the W of the adjoining road is a field in which a small cross-slab (DG012-002009-) was found. This has been removed for safety but is very similar to a slab set into the wall at the entrance to Fahan graveyard (DG038-013004-). The church is located in generally good land sloping slightly to the S where there is an extensive area of bogland. A tochair or roadway across the bog was found some time ago (M. R. Colhoun) probably leading to the nearby Carrowmore site (DG011-049001-). (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 376). 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 Lacy 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. DG012-002001-_01.JPG Church viewed from NW DG012-002002-_01.JPG Carved lintel above W doorway DG012-002003-_01.JPG Church viewed from E DG012-002004-_01.JPG Church viewed from E DG012-002005-_01.JPG Interiror viewed from W Date of upload: 13 January 2020