Cross

The National Monuments Service's description

The early ecclesiastical site here consists of a sub-rectangular shaped graveyard inside of which are a number of earlier features. The site is located on excellent land sloping to Lough Foyle to the E and is traditionally claimed to have been founded by St. Patrick (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 399). To the W outside the entrance to the graveyard (DG021-008001-) is a tall, plain, ringed high-cross (DG021-008005-). Inside the graveyard are the remains of two churches (DG021-008002-/003-) and a mortuary house or tomb shrine (DG021-008004-). One of the churches served as a medieval parish church (Leslie 1937, 265).
On the S side of this church (DG021-008002-) there is a small stone cross measuring 0.73m × 0.6m with some indecipherable lettering on the E face. This stone cross is located to the S of the church (DG021-008002-) and adjacent to the S wall of the graveyard (DG021-008001-). It is probably a post-1700 grave-marker (Lacy et. al. 1983, 261). A graveyard plan drawn by the Cooley Cross Heritage Committee shows a small cross-shaped stone lying immediately N of the S wall of the graveyard.

The attached image (DG021-008009-_03.jpg) is a plan of the church and graveyard commissioned by the Cooley Cross Heritage Committee showing location of cross-shaped stone.

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: 24 February 2015

References

Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 (Reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses of Ireland. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.

Leslie, J. 1937 Derry clergy and parishes. Enniskillen.

Lacy, B. with Cody, E., Cotter, C., Cuppage, J., Dunne, N., Hurley, V., O'Rahilly, C., Walsh, P. and Ó Nualláin, S. 1983 Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century A.D. Lifford. Donegal County Council.