School: Convent of Mercy, Moville (roll number 9278)

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1. Cooley Cross

   

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   Cooley Cross
   Having introduced you to the beginnings of Moville, let me now take you back even to prehistoric times, then to early Christian times. The oldest relic we possess is, of course, Cooley, a short mile from Moville. Yet, short as the distance is, many a visitor, after passing a month with us in summer, goes away without even hearing one of the most remarkable of Irish antiquities. I hope this article may help to make treasures of Cooley better known.
   One of our experts told me that he had no doubt Cooley was the site of pagan worship. In that case it is impossible to put any limit to the time when the inhabitants first gathered there for their solemnities. It is the cross and the flat stone that brings us to non-Christian ages. There can be no doubt, I think, that these two stones were used in pagan rites. Both of them are "holed stones," and the holes are roughly made. Probably they stood as near as possible to their present position, both upright, with the holes near the top. Holed stones are well known in different parts of Ireland, and though we have no actual record of the use made of the holes, it would appear more than probable that they were used for the making of vows.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. historical and commemorative structures (~6,794)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Frances Molloy

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Moville, Co. Donegal

   Informant

   Bishop Montgomery

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Bishop

   Address

   Moville, Co. Donegal