Townland of Carrowkeel

Area: 110 acres
Irish Name: An Cheathrú Chaol Meaning: The Narrow Quarter
Spelling Variations: none

Infant's Burial Ground (Early Christian)
At Carrowkeel (Quigley's Point), 12 miles from Londonderry on Moville road on W. shore of Lough Foyle); 200 - 300 yds N.W. of road along bank of Tromaty River (below its junction with Bogstown River) may also be approached from nearby road to Carndonagh. Arable. Secluded.

The site is also known as Kilbreda (spelling uncertain) near Bredagh Glen near Moville, named after St. Bridgid. The Kil part of the name suggests the site of an early church. Beside the very narrow river (little more than a stream). the irregular oval-shaped enclosure is bounded on its outer sides by a low single layer of stones much overgrown by a hedge of bushes and small trees. It is at two levels, each fairly flat and grass-covered. The lower part is nearer the stream on the S. W., the other part almost has the appearance of being artificially raised by about 2 ft; there are scattered stones over the surface as though marking graves, but the whole area is much overgrown with thorns and brambles. At the time of examination, the raised part was almost completely carpeted with bluebells, some being on the lower level also.

Burials took place here up to about 20 years ago. One man remembered it in use told me that the dead infants (unbaptised probably), were usually buried quietly at night, and permission from the owner of the field was not necessary. Some sailors were also buried here. It seems to have been a custom for the bodies of sailors washed up on the shore to be buried in such places. Burial grounds like these were considered unconsecrated, through if they do mark the sites of early churches, they must have been consecrated at some time.

Cromlech (Megalithic)
At village of carrowkeel, in large field S.E. of village near W. shore of Lough Foyle. Arable. Good view. There is no trace now to be seen of this structure, nor was any information found indicating what kind of megalith it had been.

Taken from The Heritage of Inishowen by Mabel R. Colhoun

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