Dundesert
County Antrim
The Martyrology of Oengus the Culdee, an early ninth century monastic bishop of Clonenagh (Co. Offaly) and later of Tallaght (Co Dublin), has a litany invoking ‘Seven monks of Egypt in Disert Uilaig, I invoke unto my aid, through Jesus Christ.’
We include this site in the database because some wish to identify Disert Uilaig with Dundesert on the basis of the common term ‘desert’ which derives ultimately from Egypt to refer to a small monastery.
Antiquities were once found on a site East of Dundesert at a place which has now been obliterated by the making of the former Belfast Airport.
But there is also another site to the West, at Camlin Old Church. The ruins however are heavily overgrown with ivy and there seems little possibility of further investigation at the moment.
OS: 14 159 768 marked
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