Cross-slab

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; Lacy et. al. 1983, 261). 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).
A broken upright slab with lower half of a ringed cross carved in relief located in W quadrant of Cooly graveyard (DG021-008001-) to W of church (DG021-008002-) was recently discovered during graveyard clean-up scheme carried out in 2010. A graveyard plan drawn by the Cooley Cross Heritage Committee shows a 'wheel-head cross-inscribed slab' located W of the S church where it is marked with the number 2 and known locally as the 'Cat’s Eyes'.

The attached image (DG021-008017-_03.jpg) is a plan of the church and graveyard commissioned by the Cooley Cross Heritage Committee showing location of cross-slab No. 2.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 25 February 2015

References

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

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.

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