Cross-slab, Bíofán, Co. Donegal
Co. Donegal |
Crosses & Monuments
On a knoll overlooking the north side of Glencolumbkille valley stands a fascinating collection of early Christian monuments within an ancient stone enclosure.
The circular wall, measuring 18.3 metres across internally, was originally built to a width of 1.4 metres, with both internal and external facing stones still visible today. A small gap in the southern section provides access to this sacred space, whilst an unusual semicircular kink in the eastern wall appears to be an original architectural feature rather than later damage.
At the heart of the enclosure lie the ruins of St. Columbkille's Chapel, a modest stone structure measuring 5.75 metres north to south and 3.4 metres east to west. The mortared slab walls, three quarters of a metre thick, still display their original ashlar quoins, particularly well preserved at the northeast corner. The chapel's eastern wall contains two notable features: a centrally placed doorway surrounded by rebuilt cut stones, and a small alcove above what locals call St. Columbkille's Bed; a peculiar arrangement of two horizontal slabs bounded by three side stones in the northeast corner. This alcove, measuring 35 centimetres square and equally deep, plays a role in the traditional turas (pilgrimage circuit) associated with the saint.
The enclosure also contains several cairns topped with inscribed cross slabs, testament to the site's long religious significance. The largest cairn in the southeast supports two cross slabs, one bearing a faint geometric design between its arms, whilst another cairn to the northeast is crowned with a slab featuring a simple incised cross. Perhaps most intriguing is the mound abutting the enclosure's outer edge, topped by a large natural boulder known as Leac Na mBonn, or 'flagstone of the footsoles'. This stone bears a distinctive cross within a circle, with the shaft extending beyond the circumference to end in T bars, adding another layer of Christian symbolism to this remarkable monastic landscape.