Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Stone head
Ballygorman, County Donegal, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ballygorman
- County
- Donegal
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 55.36815, -7.31766
- SMR number
- DG002-002004-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1841 "Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
The ruins of a simple church (DG002-002001-) stand by the shore at the base of a cliff on the N side of Malin Head. A rude face carved on the top stone of the corner between the S wall and the E gable (DA 1953-4, 503), is now in the National Museum of Ireland (Reg. No. 1972:5). This consists of a rectangular block of stone, all four sides of which are dressed. On one end there is a broad D-shaped projection on which is incised a human face, the eyes, nose and mouth of which are represented by deep grooves. The block is .41m × 0.26m × 0.25m. The site is said to be associated with St. Morialagh of Clonca (Rowan 1979, 418) but the surviving church remains are probably medieval. To the SW of the church is a rock-cut cave (DG002-002003-), known as the 'Wee House of Malin'. It is 1.3m across the opening which has been partly built up with stones allegedly from the church. It is 2.75m deep and 2.25m high. To the E of the church along the shore is a holy well (DG002-003-).
Nearby in the register
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Caveunder 1 mi
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
- Promontory fort - coastalunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.