Parish of Donaghmore 
We are indebted to the Lottery Heritage Fund for support in this project which was initiated to research and record the history of the Churches in the Parish of Donaghmore.
Introduction
This project provided an excellent opportunity to bring together in one place this historical information about our parish. The parish has a long and captivating Christian history, dating right back to the very introduction of Christianity in Ireland. This history is of interest to many people within the parish, as well those around Ireland and the World who are interested in the development of Christianity in Ireland.
The Parish of Donaghmore was an original site where St Patrick set up a monastery in the 5th century. This monastic site was located in the village and it is believed that the actual site was in the area of the Old Graveyard. The village also has an original High Cross which would have been common at monastic sites in Ireland and across Europe. There is also a modern “interpretive cross” in the village which presents the detail of what would have been carved on the original High Cross.
This project has engaged parishioners to collate and bring together information on the Parish of Donaghmore. This has helped cultivate an interest in the local history, so that much more of the oral history and traditions are recorded.
As well as collating information on the Parish of Donaghmore it is important to make it available to as wide an audience as possible. So an important part of the project has been to provide this historical information on this web site, so that can be accessed by anyone who is interested, from anywhere in the world – whether they are specifically interested in the Parish of Donaghmore, the history of the churches within the parish or in the development of Christianity in Ireland.
Early Donaghmore
St. Patrick visited Donaghmore in the 5th century and established a church. The Tripartite Life of St Patrick records that he set up seven Episcopal churches in the area around Slieve Gallion and Lough Neagh.
St Patrick converted the local people at Donaghmore – the Fír Imchlair. …
Donaghmore High Cross
The High Cross in Donaghmore is one of the best preserved crosses of its kind in Ireland. It dates to the 10th Century. These crosses served to mark the site of a Monastery and were also an important teaching tool. …
Church of St John the Baptist, Galbally
A Brief History of St. John the Baptist Church, Galbally – By Charlie Donnelly
This will give a background of the Catholic faith in Galbally area, as the faith did not just begin in Galbally with the building and opening of the Church in 1842, but can be traced back as far as the 13th and 14th hundreds. …
Church of St Patrick, Donaghmore
A Brief History of St. Patrick’s Church, Donaghmore – By Patricia Bogue
St. Patrick visited Donaghmore in the 5th century and established a church here. He converted the local people; the Fír Imchlair, to Christianity, and left a priest named Colum Cruither in charge. …
A Short History of Donaghmore Parish
The parish of Donaghmore has a rich Christian heritage and also
an important industrial history. After the end of the monastic age, the church in Donaghmore area was looked after by the O’Loughrans, the Erenagh family until the time of the Reformation, when a lot of the churches in Tyrone were unroofed by Shane O’Neill to keep Queen Elizabeth 1st from converting the local people to the Protestant faith.
The powerful O’Neill clan had come to Donaghmore district in the
12th century. ….
Schools Project
As part of the project, study material was produced on the history of Churches within the Parish of Donaghmore. This material is suitable for projects within schools and can be downloaded via Donaghmore Parish – Resource Pack 2019
Reference and Contributors
We are indebted to the Lottery Heritage Fund for support in producing the history of the Churches in the Parish of Donaghmore.
The various sections have been researched and compiled by parishioners including Patricia Bogue, Charlie Donnelly and Eoin Boyle.