Early Christian Monaghan Project

Project overview

As part of the ‘Early Christian Monaghan Project’, devised by Shirley Clerkin Monaghan County Heritage Officer, IAC has been involved with producing Conservation Studies for six notable early medieval sites. The project has been running since 2016 and aims to promote and safeguard sites of early medieval significance as an action of the County Monaghan Heritage Plan (2012-2017).

In consultation with the Heritage Officer Dr Paul Stevens and local historical and community groups, IAC prepared Conservation Studies for 1) Clones Round Tower, High Cross, House-shaped shrine and graveyard; 2) Killahear graveyard; 3) Innishkeen Round Tower and graveyard; 4) Killeevan graveyard; 5) Old Donagh graveyard and 6) Drumsnatt graveyard. This work was supported by the Heritage Council’s Community Heritage Grant Scheme.

As part of the process open public workshops were held, and detailed desk-based assessments involving field inspections, cartographic and LiDAR analysis were undertaken; in addition to reconstruction drawings of each site by Philip Armstrong. This work was showcased to the wider community through heritage week events, workshops, radio interviews, video recordings and tours. Policies, recommendations and actions contained within the Conservation Studies aim to ensure the long-term preservation of each site; and these are currently being implemented with our continued involvement at several sites through the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage’s Community Monuments Fund. Notably, structural interventions and stabilisation of the gable wall of Killeevan Church were undertaken in 2021 and works are currently underway at Errigal Truagh.