Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Penitential station
Disert, County Donegal, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Disert
- County
- Donegal
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 54.73348, -8.18734
- SMR number
- DG084-001005-
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 1881 "Ireland to Illustrate the Military Condition of the Country." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Located in a graveyard (DG084-001002-), within the S half of an ecclesiastical enclosure (DG084-001001-). One of three penitential cairns in the graveyard, this cairn is located in the N half, immediately to SE of an altar (DG084-001008-). It consists of a roughly circular heap (diam. 2.3m; H 1.2m) of small to medium-sized stones (Beglane et al. 2016, Appendix 2). The two other penitential cairns (DG084-001006-; DG084-001007-) are located c. 8m to SSW. These cairns are included in the traditional ‘pattern’ or ‘turas’, which commences at the nearby holy well (DG084-001004-), and continues as a devotional walking circuit of the graveyard, during which each of the penitential cairns is circled clockwise, with a small stone being added to each.
Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy
Date of revised upload: 8 August 2017
References
Beglane, F., Meehan, H., and Nugent, L. 2016 Conservation Management Plan for the ecclesiastical enclosure and pilgrim landscape of Diset, Inver parish, Co. Donegal. November 2016. Unpublished report submitted to the NMS.
Nearby in the register
- Altarunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.