Architectural fragment

The National Monuments Service's description

Conwal Graveyard, recently extended and still in use is the site of an early ecclesiastical settlement possibly as old as the 7th century (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 33). Within the graveyard (DG053-029008-) is a holy well (DG053-029002-) (Ó Muirgheasa No. 78) and the ruins of a church (DG053-029001-). Colhoun (1970, 241) notes that the site was tidied up about 1968 and a grassy rectangular mound (DG053-029007-) at right angles to the S wall of the church was made into a rectangular cairn of stones, the flat top of which is paved with grave-slabs. In addition, there are a number of upright slabs of which six have cruciform designs, one a human figure and three are uninscribed. Five cross slabs are lying unfixed on the cairn. Three recumbent cross-slabs are set in the cairn. There are twelve other graveslabs on the cairn, one late 19th century, the others plain and uninscribed some of them trapezoidal in plan.
Conwal Old Church: Described in 1622 as being in ruins (Royal Commission, 215), only 'the south wall, about 15 feet high and a part of the north wall which is nearly level with the ground' remained in 1835 (O'Flanagan 1927, 80). The church is 17.5m by 6.5m internally and the surviving original fabric comprises the central ivy-covered section of the S wall, 4.5m high, and the lower courses of the N wall. The remaining church walls, 1.5m high, are much rebuilt; the doorway in the S wall and a short dividing wall at the W end of the church may not be original features.
At the E end of the church, within an area enclosed by a modern surround, is a broken altar base. The sides are chamfered to corner stops which supported diagonal engaged corner pillars. On top of this base are a number of cut stones (DG053-029023), fragments of four rotary quern-stones and a small rock-basin with a shallow, depression. Among the dressed stonework is one piece with a medieval moulding profile and two sand-stone fragments with characteristic Romanesque ornament. There are two other dressed blocks with diagonal tooling on the altar base and others have been incorporated in the rebuilt fabric of the S and E walls.

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.

Date of upload: 22 September 2008