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Derrykeighan Church is a post-medieval ruin near Ballymoney in County Antrim, standing on ground that has held sacred significance for over two millennia. The site occupies the location of a medieval parish church, itself built upon an earlier pre-Norman ecclesiastical settlement. This layering of religious occupation reflects the enduring spiritual importance of the landscape, likely chosen for reasons both spiritual and practical—the bedrock beneath consists of Palaeogene mafic lava and tuff, creating a naturally distinctive locality within the surrounding terrain.
Amongst the church remains at Derrykeighan is a La Tène decorated stone, a remarkable find that indicates the site's sanctity extended back to the Late Bronze Age. This artefact provides tangible evidence of early religious or ceremonial activity, predating even the medieval church structure by well over a thousand years. The presence of such material demonstrates continuity of ritual and spiritual use across successive cultures and periods.
The ruins are now protected by the Historic Environment Division, with the site recorded under reference 1029. The standing fragments of the post-medieval church allow visitors to trace the architectural phases of ecclesiastical development at Derrykeighan, whilst the decorated stone serves as a potent reminder of the site's deep-rooted place in the religious landscape of early Ireland.
Derrykeighan church, darkehan, old church, derrykeighan old church. derrykeighan church - post medieval ruins on site of medieval parish church & pre-norman site. also la tene decorated stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 1029. View the official record →
Derrykeighan Church is a post-medieval ruin near Ballymoney in County Antrim, standing on ground that has held sacred significance for over two millennia. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 1029.
Derrykeighan church, darkehan, old church, derrykeighan old church. derrykeighan church - post medieval ruins on site of medieval parish church & pre-norman site. also la tene decorated stone dates from the l.b.a. period, and is classified as a ecclesiastical site. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Derrykeighan church, darkehan, old church, derrykeighan old church. derrykeighan church - post medieval ruins on site of medieval parish church & pre-norman site. also la tene decorated stone is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 1029.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Raised rath (7.2 km), Old church tower, church of balibony, balibony. medieval & later church, tower & graveyard (8.1 km), Raised rath (8.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Derrykeighan church, darkehan, old church, derrykeighan old church. derrykeighan church - post medieval ruins on site of medieval parish church & pre-norman site. also la tene decorated stone's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Derrykeighan church, darkehan, old church, derrykeighan old church. derrykeighan church - post medieval ruins on site of medieval parish church & pre-norman site. also la tene decorated stone stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.