Donaghrisk Old Graveyard, Tullywiggan Road

Donaghrisk Old Graveyard is a 17th century walled circular burial ground situated on Tullywiggan Road. The graveyard remains in active use and survives as both a historic monument and an important record of parish life, though its significance is historical rather than architectural.

The graveyard is enclosed by a rubble stone circular wall topped with sharp stones for security. The entrance to the north is marked by tall stone pillars with sharp stones set in concrete, fitted with painted cast-iron gates. Access is via a long gated laneway from Tullywiggan Road, which is bounded by a low rubble stone wall to the south and timber fence to the north. The entrance gates themselves are wrought-iron with a pointed arch to the top and trellis effect to the lower panels, supported on rubble stone pillars with pyramidal stone caps. A memorial plaque erected by Cookstown District Council marks the road entrance, commemorating those buried within and noting the re-establishment of the public right of way and Friars Well.

Within the graveyard, a series of overgrown memorials and tombs remain largely intact though many have fallen into disrepair. The memorials are primarily cut and carved stone, some set on stone plinths, others on the ground. Several are enclosed by Victorian-style wrought-iron railings. Recorded inscriptions include graves dating from 1646, 1780, 1793, 1796, and 1885, bearing names such as Stewart Moorhead, Jane Boyd, Elizabeth Pearry, Robert Anderson, and James Hadden.

Centrally positioned within the graveyard is a square-plan tomb with a projecting entrance bay. The entrance is sunken and accessed via steps down, featuring a pointed arched doorway with brick surround. The door has been concreted closed. Remains of a mausoleum also survive in the centre of the graveyard.

The Friars Well, located to the north-east of the graveyard beyond the circular walls, is accessed separately from the laneway. It comprises a cut stone base with a large circular stone-dressed hole set within the ground. A wrought-iron entrance enclosure surrounds the well, featuring a pointed arched entrance door with a curved central supporting rail stretching from ground to arch top. Adjoining curved railings connect to this central support. The well plot is further enclosed by a fence.

Historical records identify the site with St. Patrick and with a priory said to have been founded in 1294 by the O'Hagan family, though no reliable evidence substantiates these claims. The graveyard appears on Ordnance Survey maps from 1833-34 onwards as a burial ground. According to Lewis's topographical dictionary of 1837, a tomb at the site was mutilated during the 1641 Rebellion and remained covered until its discovery in 1819 during vault sinking. The present Gothic-style gate at the head of the lane likely dates to shortly after this discovery.