Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Urn burial
Castlesaffron, County Cork, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Castlesaffron
- County
- Cork
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- NULL
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- SMR number
- CO025-111----
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
According to Smith (1750, Vol. 2, 410-11), 'in the year 1737, three large urns were discovered near Castle-saffron...placed in a kind of triangle in the earth about 100 yards from [a ringfort]; ...made of a fine clay...which soon mouldered in the air...they had a rude kind of carved work around the rims,...about sixteen inches in diameter, as was...bottom; but the middle of the side about two feet, and each urn was four feet high. In one...was...skeleton of a man,...ribs and smaller bones...bundled up,..tied with copper wire rusted green, as were...thighs, arms, etc...skull...placed near...mouth of...urn; none of these...had passed the fire. In second urn...a substance like honey, supposed to be...flesh; ..in third, small quantity of copper pieces...of an irregular shape...void of any inscription or stamp.' According to Waddell (1990, 60), 'could conceivable be a garbled account of a normal urn burial', but Macalister (1928, 130) interpreted it as a 'jar-burial'. Exact location not known.
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009