Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated towards the centre of Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) within a possible ringfort (CL029-009131-). A roughly square enclosure (max. dim. c. 15m) excavated in 1972-3. Prior to excavation it was defined by a low stony bank. Construction was found to have been in two phases, the first consisting of an earthen bank and fosse and later an unmortared stone wall. Some remains of stone paving were found running along the inside of the wall. The enclosure had been used as a burial ground, exclusively for infants, almost all new-born. A handful of quartz pebbles and a long stone pebble were deposited in most of the graves. Macalister noted an entrance (Wth 0.81m) in the middle of the S side with two jambstones on the E side and one on the W. A small cell or church (CL029-009003-) lay within the enclosure. A large sandstone block (CL029-009052-) within the burial ground was used as a penitential station during pilgrimage rounds. The area is much overgrown and only the penitential stations is evident. (Macalister 1916, 117-18; de Paor 1973; de Paor 1997; de Paor 2013, 36-7)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 13 October 2-15

References

Large, S. 2011 A church and graveyard survey in County Clare. Database and photographic record. Clare County Council. Clare Heritage Forum. The Heritage Council.

de Paor †, L. 2013 Inis Cealtra: Archaeological investigations of the monuments on the island. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 53, 27-78.

De Paor, L. 1973 1973:0006 – Inishcaltra (Holy Island), Clare. http://www.excavations.ie/report/1973/Clare/0000036/. Accessed 13 October 2015.

Macalister, R.A.S 1916-17 The history and antiquities of Inis Cealtra. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 33C, 93-174.

de Paor, L. 1997 Inis Cealtra: report on archaeological and other investigations of the monuments on the island. E000180. Unpublished excavation report submitted to the National Monuments service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin.