The community of Raphoe is invited to participate in a search for clues pinpointing the location of Saint Eunan’s monastery.
This unique project, dubbed ‘The Hunt for Eunan’s Monastery,’ is funded by Creative Ireland. It aims to engage the community with heritage professionals to explore and learn about their local heritage and culture.
The project is one of 25 being supported by Donegal County Council’s Culture and Creativity Team.
Raphoe Community In Action is coordinating the search.
According to Chairperson Mary Harte, this initiative presents an exciting and fun challenge for the community. The primary goal is to piece together the story of the early monks who settled in the area over a millennium ago.
“Raphoe’s Gaelic name, Rath Bhoth, meaning ‘enclosure of the huts,’ is believed by historians to refer to the walls and cells of the original Christian monastery. Children from St. Eunan’s NS and Raphoe Central primary schools have already contributed by creating artwork depicting their visions of the monastery’s appearance,” Harte explains.
“This project is about the community embracing and enjoying the heritage right on their doorstep,” Mary added.
The public will have the chance to learn from historians and archaeologists at a seminar held in the Suile Centre. Following the seminar, they can embark on their own explorations throughout the summer.
“We encourage everyone to look at their surroundings – old walls, gable ends of dry stone sheds – with fresh eyes and to capture their observations with photographs, which will then be included in a display during Heritage Week in August.”
Mary also noted the presence of small, carved faces believed to originate from the monastery, which are currently embedded in the exterior of the Church of Ireland Cathedral.
“Our main task is to try and uncover the monastery’s layout, if possible,” she stated.
Dr. Brian Lacy, a leading Irish authority on the Donegal monks Colmcille/Columba and Eunan, will deliver a presentation on the archaeological and historical evidence leading up to the establishment of the Cathedral of Eunan in the 12th century.
Mary Harte also highlights the significance of Raphoe as the ecclesiastical Diocese for most of Donegal.
Dr. William Roulston, a prominent historian specializing in the Plantation of Ulster, will discuss the Plantation’s impact on the development of Raphoe as a market town and a Cathedral center, complete with a Bishop’s Palace (also known as Raphoe Castle).
The seminar will provide attendees with a deeper understanding of what to look for during their summer investigations.
Mary Harte emphasizes Raphoe’s designation as a Heritage Town and highlights that any discovery related to the monastery’s layout would significantly enhance this distinction. “You never know what we might find once we all start looking,” she says.
The “Hunt for Eunan’s Monastery” seminar will be held at the Suile Centre in Raphoe (behind the Volt House in the Diamond) on Saturday, July 19th, at 2 PM. The event is free and open to everyone, regardless of their place of residence.
Search for ancient monastery begins in Raphoe was last modified: July 7th, 2025 by
