Rathmullan Priory was built in 1508 by Rory Mac Sweeney Fanad and given to the Carmelite friar Mac Sweeney of Connacht in 1516.
It was plundered by George Bingham in 1595 and used as barracks by Ralph Bingley in 1601.
In 1618 the nave was adapted as a castle and private dwelling by the Bishop of Raphoe Andrew Knox. The garrison of the castle repulsed the attack from the Jacobite Duke of Berwick in 1689.
The chancel continued to be used as a parish church until 1814, when it was abandoned.
The ruins overlook Lough Swilly to the south.
What we see today it's a church in ruins, with a central tower and a south transept remodeled as a three-storey building, likely for residential purposes. The south wall of the transept has a mullioned window on each floor.
The chancel window has a hood moulding ending each side with floral motifs. The south lancet window in the chancel has carved heads at the end of the hood moulding.
To the north of the chancel a two-storey building with a tower had been built.
The nave was adapted to residential purposes, and has a corbelled turret.
Unfortunately the gate was locked on the day of our visit, and the cold, wet and dull weather didn't encouraged me to look for someone who could have the keys, so we weren't able to visit the inside of the building.
We came here for the first time on May 7th, 2002.
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