Rock art, Carrowreagh or Craignacally, Co. Donegal

Discovered by researcher M.A.M. Van Hoek in 1987, this ancient rock art site at Carrowreagh Or Craignacally features a weathered outcrop with carefully carved cupmarks and concentric rings. The main design consists of a central cup surrounded by three complete circular rings, with what might be a tail extending from the centre; a motif that speaks to the artistic traditions of Ireland's distant past.

The carved stone sits on a smooth surface that slopes gently at eight degrees to the southeast, positioned near the top of a low knoll just south of a fence line. From this spot, visitors can see the Mass Rock some 122 metres to the northeast, creating a landscape connection between different periods of Irish history. About 14 metres south of the rock art stands a low stone that may also date to prehistoric times, suggesting this area held significance for ancient communities.

Rock art like this represents one of the few tangible links to Ireland's Neolithic and Bronze Age inhabitants, who left these enigmatic symbols across the landscape between 4,000 and 2,000 BCE. The cupmarks and rings found here are typical of Atlantic rock art, a tradition that stretches along Europe's western seaboard from Scotland to Iberia. While their exact meaning remains unknown, these carvings likely held ritual or territorial significance for the people who created them, marking important places in their physical and spiritual geography.