Font, Carraig Airt, Co. Donegal

This marble font, standing 1.16 metres tall, originally belonged to an earlier church that once stood on this site. The first church at Carrigart was built around 1674 or 1675, according to local records, though that building has long since vanished; its former location now serves as part of the graveyard surrounding the current 1895 church.

The font itself tells a story through its carved details. Its octagonal shaft features a squared section bearing the inscription "EX: DONO R:A 1681" in false relief, indicating it was gifted by someone with the initials R.A. in that year. Below this inscription sits a quartered coat of arms, though the identity of the donor remains a mystery. The craftsmanship is particularly fine, with the sixteen-sided bowl tapering elegantly at its base, whilst the square base displays four raised bosses on the corners of its octagonally chamfered upper surface.

This surviving font serves as a tangible link to Carrigart's early Protestant community and the lost church that once served them. Whilst the original building may have disappeared, this beautifully carved marble piece continues to serve its purpose more than three centuries after it was first installed, a testament to both the skill of its creator and the continuity of worship in this corner of Donegal.