Sometimes an overcast and misty day can create a better atmosphere when visiting these old sites than the sunniest day ever could. That was certainly the case when I came across the old church in Dunlewey, standing in the shadow of Mt Errigal, close to the ‘Poisoned Glen’. The church is built out of white marble which was quarried only a few hundred metres away. This COI church was built in 1853 by Jane Smith Russell as a memorial to her husband James Russell, who is buried in a vault under the church floor. Also buried in the graveyard is Richard Lewis Crankshaw, owner of the Dunlewey estate who died in 1929, his wife Nellie is buried in the graveyard of the local Catholic church, her grave facing this church and her husbands grave. The decline of the Dunlewey estate and therefore its congregation led to the church falling into disrepair and the roof was removed in 1955 due to safety concerns. Some recent attempts have been made to restore this fine marble edifice.

GPS: 55.01932, -8.11168