Information board, Gortnagross

Image: © Kenneth Allen Taken: 7 Apr 2014

It includes the following text in the description, "Cill Chairill Our Parish is nowadays called Aghyaran from the fact that the Parish Church is situated in the townhall of Aghyaran. Down through the centuries the Parish has been known by different names. The first references to a church in the Parish always describe it as Cill Chairill, St. Cairial's Church. Thus in Archbishop Colton's Visitation of the Derry Diocese in 1399 it is called 'Kylehyrryll.' Who this St. Cairill was is uncertain. The most likely site of Gill Chairill is at or near the old graveyard in Magherakeel. This suggests Machaire Chille, The Plain of the Church, as a possible derivation of Magherakeel. These remaining walls were re-discovered during the 1970's by John Mongan as they were completely covered by clay and trees and 'lost' for many years. The little building beside these ruins was a school and it is believed that the stones which the school are built with were taken off the church when it transferred down to woodside and became known as St. Bestius Church of Ireland." Pictured here Image]

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