In the early years of the 17th century the town of Raphoe as we know
it today did not exist. The surrounding countryside had been fought
over by the rival O’Donnell and Ó Neill clans and some of their
most famous skirmishes had taken place in the vicinity of Raphoe, e.g.
Knockavoe (near Strabane), Kiltole (near Convoy) and Farsetmore (Near
Letterkenny). Pynnar's
Survey 1618 A.D
The oldest stone sculptures in Donegal belong to the Iron Age to Pagan
Celtic times, when images of gods and goddesses were created in wood
and stone. The majority of these stone carvings have been found in the
northern half of the county. One of these concentrations is in east
Donegal near Raphoe, an area of good agricultural land which has been
occupied successively since the late Stone Age.
On the summit of Beltony Hill, two miles from Raphoe, there is to be
seen a fine example of a stone circle. This ancient structure is sometimes
referred to as "the Stonehenge of Donegal", but archaeologists have
dated it somewhere about 2,000 B.C., which would make it two hundred
years older than Stonehenge, also the area of the Beltony Circle is
larger. Here there is a circle surrounded by megaliths with an area
of 145 feet in diameter or 150 yards in circumference. Sixty-four stones
remain constituting the circle, out of an original total of 80. They
average four feet in height.
Three stone idols are known from this area and there is another unfinished
bust which may belong to the same period. Three other stone busts from
this locality, formerly displayed outside a house in Woodlands, were
previously thought to be pre-Christian but now it is thought that they
were carved much later, in the pre-medieval period. The group of head
carvings from the Raphoe area points to the strength of religious practice
in this locality in pre-Christian times. Later Raphoe became an important
Christian centre, as perhaps in Armagh City, the Christian Monastery
of Raphoe was built on the site of a Celtic Sanctuary. Indeed in the
medieval chancery documents there is a strange reference to laymen in
the Raphoe Diocese being censured in 1265 A.D. for worshipping idols.
This makes one wonder if pagan beliefs were still alive here in the
thirteenth century.
The best known sculpture from the Raphoe area, one generally accepted
as pre Christian, is the head from Beltany, now in the National Museum.
It originally belonged at one time to the Wilson family of Drumaneny
House near Beltany, the site of the stone circle and is reputed to have
been found in the vicinity of Beltany Stone Circle. The Beltany head
is carved on an unusually thin piece of stone. Around its neck are traces
of decoration which could possibly represent a torc, a gold collar worn
by Celtic heroes and deities. The second stone head from East Donegal
formerly at Craigadooes is now in a private collection made from a beautifully
rounded boulder, its features are carefully cut into the stone, incised
to such a shallow depth that they almost bend into the smooth surface
of the stone. A number of other Celtic idols such as the three faced
head from Glejbjerg in Jutland, Denmark, also appear to have been carved
from natural rounded boulders. A third stone head from the Raphoe area
was found in the 1940’s during a field clearance operation between the
village of Convoy and the town of Ballybofey.
The name Beltony is supposed to be a corruption of BAAL-TINNE, the
Fire of Baal, intimating a place where that Deity was particularly worshipped.
In Ireland - just the same as the etymology in Gaelic for Beltani tree,
lighted annually at mid-summer. The Irish for the month of May also
signifies the Fire of Baal, showing that he must have been one of Ireland's
most respected of the pagan gods. The rituals as practised on Beltony
at the Stone Circle have been lost but there is no doubt that the people
worshipped this god Baal who was the great Sun God, ruler of nature.
The worship was always conducted on a hilltop so as to obtain a view
of the rising sun at the very earliest possible moment.
From the writings of the bards it seems probable that Crom
Cruach, the pagan god of war, and Manaman McLir, god of the sea
(after which the Isle of Man was named) and King of the Fairies, were
also worshipped at Beltony. Tradition tells us that the principal ceremonies
were performed at the 21st June, when the lawgivers lighted sacred fires.
The circle of stones were supposed to represent the stars and a fire
in the centre, the sun Baal. One May Day two fires were lit through
which the cattle were passed. This was meant to guard them against disease.
An outlying slab or pillar stone 6ft 3ins high is seen in the field
67 feet outside the boundary of the circle. Beyond this pillar stone,
another similar stone exists in the same line. Then there is a hill
summit seen against the sky some little distance away. According to
Admiral Somerville, the line points to the sunrise on the winter solstice.
This day was also set apart for the holding of ceremonies. The line
direct to the sharp summit of Argery Hill, two miles distant, marks
sunrise on 21st March and 21st September, the spring and autumn equinoxes
respectively, when further ceremonies took place.
Various alignments have been pointed out including; Winter and Summer
solstice, the Spring and Autumn equinox and the early November sunrise
marking the beginning of the Celtic festival of Samain. But the most
persuasive alignment must be from the tallest stone at the S.W, to the
triangular stone decorated with cup marks at E.N.E. This alignment points
to a small hill about five miles away known as Tullyrap where Sun rises
over its small summit on the first day of May. Beltony is a good example
of a stone circle - there are only about six or seven in all Ireland.
People should bear in mind that this is only a rude stone monument,
and with the passage of time, all traces of decoration in paint or in
clay as well as the words used on such occasions have all disappeared.
About 1 mile South West of the town of Raphoe St Brigid's Well is situated
in the townland of Aughnakeeragh (the field of the sheep). It is known
locally for it's curative properties and attracts a large number of
visitors throughout the yeare especially on the feast of St Brigid (Feb1st)
and the Sunday nearest the anniversary of the restoration of the well
(Aug 22nd). The folklore associated with this Well, suggests that it
may date back to pre Christian times. The stories associated with it
such as; the old woman at the Well, The candle that stayed alight during
the storm and the voice at the Well are of ancient celtic origin. This
is the only "Holy Well "of significance in the Raphoe area. It is worth
noting that the site of St Brigid's Well is clearly seen from The Beltony
Stone Circle which in bygone days was an important venue of pre Christian
ritual activity. In pagan Europe,Well worship was common, but as with
other pagan sacred places the Christian church took over these wells
and springs so that these water shrines which were part of pagan religious
complexes became symbols of Christianity.
THE ANCIENT (HOLY) CROSS OF RAPHOE
The ancient Cross of Raphoe was believed to have miraculous powers
of healing. It is recorded in the Annals of Ulster that in 1411 "the
Holy Cross of Rath-both rained blood from its wounds this year, and
distempers and diseases numerous were relieved thereby". And earlier,
in 1397 "Hugh Macmahon recovered his eyesight through fasting, which
he performed in honour of the Holy Cross of Rath-Both", as recorded
by the Four Masters.
The miraculous cross of the Cathedral of Raphoe is lost to us these
many centuries. It was the focal point for pilgrims of a bygone age,
who came in their thousands, for its fame had spread far and wide, even
beyond the confines of Ireland. For a long time mystery surrounded the
ultimate fate of the cross, which had stood in the old cathedral since
the day of its building in an age long past and forgotten. Archbishop
Prene, in 1442, following the death of Laurence or Loughlin 0 Gallagher,
dean of Raphoe, in 1438 assumed the rights of "custodian" of the See,
and he decreed that the figure of the holy cross belonging to the Cathedral
of Raphoe should be brought to Armagh and remain there.
From the Donegal village a stone cross was taken to Armagh, and for
a long time it was believed to be the original Cross of Raphoe, But,
said one sceptic of the time, it was futile to try to identify the plundered
stone among the many crosses in Armagh. He was to be confirmed in his
expressed doubt, for there appeared later incontrovertible proof that
the original Cross of Raphoe was never in fact removed from the Cathedral,
but was burnt there by iconoclastic heretics about the yeare 1600. The
protecting shadows of Hugh Ó Neill and Hugh O'Donnell were already
forecasting the trend of coming events when the Dean and Chapter of
Raphoe determined to restore their ancient Cathedral to its pristine
pre-eminence. The building itself, disfigured and desecrated, could
be restored and re-consecrated, but the famous cross had been burnt
to ashes.