Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on top of a broad hill. The site of the medieval parish church of Donagh (MO007-007001-) is within a sub-triangular graveyard (dims c. 57m E-W; c. 53m N-S) defined by earthen banks and scarps with hedges. The base of the triangle is on the S side and with the SE angle missing. The headstones, dating largely from the late eighteenth century to the mid nineteenth century, have been recorded (McCarney 1957). A fragment of a doorway arch (dims 0.91m x 0.26m x 0.2m) along with a stone corbel (dims 0.66m x 0.25m x 0.28m) with the possible head of a cleric carved relief were acquired by Monaghan County Museum during the 1970s (Walsh 1979, 117). During the 1980s a fragment (dims 0.21m x 0.12m x 0.12m) of a cut stone window jamb decorated with a keel moulding of late 12th early 13th century date was also acquired (Walsh 1983, 170). Part of the head of a ringed cross (MO007-007010-) was also donated to the museum. The graveyard is now owned by Monaghan County Council with parking for about three cars outside.
Within the graveyard is a cup-marked stone (MO007-014009-), the Donagh cross (MO007-014003-), two cross-bases (MO007-014002-; MO007-014005-), two seventeenth century graveslabs (MO007-014007-; (MO007-014008-), and a cross-shaped headstone dated 1666 (MO007-014006-).

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of revised upload: 8 November 2016

References

Walsh, A. 1979 Monaghan County Museum Archaeological Acquisitions 1974-75. Clogher Record 10, 110-36.

McCarney, B. 1957 Inscriptions in Donagh Cemetery: Co. Monaghan. Clogher Record 2, 192-203.