Derry
Saturday 27 October
The old church at Maghera was viewed (C855002). It is a simple rectangular building with a later tower at one end. Beneath the tower, at the entrance to the church, is a magnificent carved lintel.
It features a crucifixion. The frame of the doorway is fragmentary and features two figures facing each other at the top and curvilinear ornamentation. The doorway is lintelled on the outside with a semicircular arch within. In the churchyard are a number of 18th and early 19th century gravestones, one of which has a small perforation.
Dunboe Church (C758353), near Downhill, was investigated. Little remains of this rectangular church. The churchyard contains mainly 19th century gravestones and in the corner, surrounded by a railing, is a large octagonal mausoleum erected in 1810 by the Bruce Family.
Sunday 28 October
A rath near Exorna (C774342) was investigated. It is greatly overgrown and there are traces of an outer bank. The inner bank is very high on the north side. A large mound was visited (C750330). It is very high and steep and is set within the remains of a circular bank. This is Ballyhacket Lisawilling motte. Around the top of the mound is a stone and earth wall.
Largantea Wedge-grave (C726268), the Well Glass Spring Cairn, was photographed. It is well preserved with a good facade about 4m wide. The burial chamber is about 5m long. One capstone is still in position and is about 1.5m long by 1m broad. The stones of the well- defined portal are about 1m high.
A standing-stone (C686164) and a rath (C689157) were noted in passing. A court-grave was investigated (C672058). There are good remains of one court with traces of a possible second court. The gallery is about 6m long and has at least two chambers. One side of the gallery is formed from three large slabs. The stones forming the court are quite small, the highest being about 65cm. The stones at the entrance to the gallery are over 1m high. The grave is set in the remains of a low cairn.
A rath (C667057) was visited. It is greatly overgrown and the single bank is partially removed on one side. A stone circle (C662043) was investigated. It is about 10m diameter and is made of many small stones. There are some stones within the circle. Just outside is a standing stone about 140cm high. On the opposite side of the circle and about 10m distant is a single outlier. About 30m from the circle are the remains of another circle of similar size but with many fewer stones and less complete. It has a tangential alignment about 15m long which is double in places. On the other side of the circle is a second alignment about 17m long. There are many other stones in the region around the circles but they form no definite pattern. A standing-stone (C645053) was photographed. It is about 140cm high by 100cm broad and 50cm thick.
Tandragee Fort (C634050) was visited. It is a large rath with a single bank which incorporated a lot of stone. There is no trace of an outer bank and ditch. It is about 30m across.
An unsuccessful search was made for Ballydonegan Sweathouse. A small cashel was investigated (C618934). The wall is over 1m high and has two openings. It may be partly rebuilt. Three standing-stones were viewed from the roadside. Two close together (C672086) form part of a field boundary and are flat topped. The third stone (C671085) stands near the opposite side of the field and is pointed.
TOURS