Exterior

St Eunan’s Cathedral in Raphoe is the oldest building in County Donegal still in regular use.  Architecturally, it is a multi-period Church of Ireland landmark built in the early 17th century on an older site.

There was a monastic foundation at Raphoe from the 7th century, associated with Adomnán (c. 624-704), ninth abbot of the important ecclesiastical site on the Scottish Island of Iona.  Adomnán (St Eunan) was apparently a monk at Raphoe before he became Abbot of Iona in 679 – a significant Ulster-Scots connection. 

Before the Scottish Planters arrived in the early 17th century, the church here was described as “ruinated and all decayed, saving the walls”.  The first Bishop of Raphoe, George Montgomery, began a major restoration, virtually a re-building around 1605.  He had been chaplain to King James 1, and was nominated not only Bishop of Raphoe, but of Clogher and Derry at the same time.