Burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

Mass grave discovered when old ground level was lowered to enlarge existing garden at rear of of private residence in Greenmount. Excavated by Stella Cherry (NMI), July 1990. Remains of at least fifteen individuals, 1m to 1.5m below ground level, were removed. All bones were disarticulated, many were broken and in most cases stacked into neat piles with skulls lying close by and could not represent original placement of bodies. No trace of delimiting pit evident. Until latter half of 19th century this area known as 'Gallows Green' (1842 OS 6-inch map). (Cherry 1991, 20)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 2: East and South Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1994). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

An account of this monument has been published in: Cahill, M. & Sikora, M. (2011) Breaking ground, finding graves- reports on the excavations of burials by the National Museum of Ireland, 1927-2006. vol. 2, 307-318.

Compiled by: Denis Power
Date of upload: 17 August 2012