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Donegal Sundial
100Kb Photo

100Kb Photo

Four metres up on the south wall of Donagh C.o.I. Parish Church, Carndonagh, is a 480mm wide by 380mm high by 20mm thick vertical direct south facing slate sundial. It is wedged out approximately 130mm along the east edge and it has a corroding, bent iron gnomon. It is held in place by four corroding iron brackets with resultant rust stains on the face of the dial. It is engraved to show the time (not now possible because of the bent gnomon) from 6a.m. to 6p.m. in Roman numerals with hour, half and quarter hour divisions. There is a noon gap to compensate for the gnomon thickness.
At the top, the date "1835" is flanked by a small 'marigold petal' flower design on the west side and on the east side by a dove with her chicks. The letter 'd' is cut into the slate on either side of the gnomon

In the churchyard there is a decorated cross-slab known as the Marigold Stone, so called because part of the carving has what could be a large 'marigold-petal' flower inside a circle. Nearby is another decorated stone cross, known as St. Patrick's Cross, and two other smaller decorated stones. The cross, dated to the 7th century has elaborate interlacing decoration on all 4 sides. On the east face it has interlacing with birds above a crucifixation scene. One of the small pillars has a man with sword and shield, a bird, David and his harp and a curvilinear motif; the other stone has on it a number of figures, one with a bell and a staff. St. Patrick founded a church on this site in the 5th century. The present church was built in 1769 from the remains of its predecessor which was destroyed around 1650. It was enlarged and re-roofed in 1812. The west doorway of the church is thought to date from the earlier 15th century church. The church bell is believed to have come off the 'Trinidad Valencera', the Spanish armada ship wrecked in nearby Kinagoe Bay in 1588.

Carndonagh is situated 18km North East of Buncrana and 2km south of Malin town in the Inishowen peninsula.

Lat 55°15' North  Long 7° 16' West

Irish Grid     C   246400    445000


If you know the location of a sundial in Ireland (NOT a mass produced DIY Store garden ornament) please email it to me (Click here to email M.J.Harley) - a member of British Sundial Society
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