Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Penitential station
Carrowmore (gleneely Ed), County Donegal, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Carrowmore (gleneely Ed)
- County
- Donegal
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Penitential Station
- Coordinates
- 55.25594, -7.18899
- SMR number
- DG011-049007-
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
Carrowmore ecclesiastical complex has been identified with Both Chonais an early monastic site (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 30). The site consists of a series of monuments (DG011-049----/049010-) divided by a modern road, but obviously it originally formed part of a larger unit. On the W side of the road there is a rectangular enclosure of a burial ground (DG011-049001-). Near the SW corner of the enclosure two jamb-stones 1.5m apart, and at right-angles to the line of the wall, probably indicate an entrance. Just beyond the N side of this wall is a flat-topped boulder (DG011-049003-) which may be the base of a high cross. Inside the dividing wall is a possible cross-slab (DG011-049004-) partially buried in the ground. Also close to the S end is a tall plain cross (DG011-049005-). E of the road is a second cross (DG011-049006-). There is a small cairn possibly a penitential cairn of stones about the base of the cross. This cairn is marked on the 1903 ed. OS 6-inch map (Lacy et. al. 1983, 248). 18m to the S there is an earth-fast cross-inscribed boulder (DG011-049008-). To the NE against a field and townland boundary there was a holy well (DG012-021---) which has been closed up (Ó Muirgheasa, No. 94). In 2012 the Bernician Studies Group carried out a magnetometer survey in the fields surrounding the high crosses (DG011-049005-/006-) at Carrowmore which revealed the sub-surface remains of a bi-vallate early Christian ecclesiastical enclosure (DG011-049----) (O'Brien and Adams 2014, 4).
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.
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of revised upload: 4 March 2015
Nearby in the register
- Cross - High crossunder 1 mi
- Cross-inscribed stoneunder 1 mi
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.