Burial

The National Monuments Service's description

‘In January 1990 human bone was discovered on Illanaght, a small tidal island forming part of the townland of Ballyhooriskey on the Fanad peninsula, Co. Donegal. The island is a low grassy eminence c.30m in diameter, separated from dry land but only cut off at very high tides. The discovery was reported to the Gardaí, who removed the skull to the morgue in Letterkenny and reported the find to the NMI. A number of days later the remaining bones were dug up by a local person apparently in search of ‘treasure’, and the entirety of the remains were subsequently reburied on site by the Gardaí. The site was investigated by Raghnall O Floinn, but as the remains were ex situ by the time of investigation this report this report is based on the Garda observations. The skeleton was found on the seaward side of the island to the north-east. It lay approximately east/west, with the head to the west, in shingle just underneath the sod. There was no evidence of grave-markers or stone slabs, and it appears that the grave was simply an unlined pit. The body (1990:2) lay extended in a supine position with the head to the west. No artefacts were found with this burial.’ (Cahill and Sikora 2011, Vol. 2, 466)

Compiled by: Paul Walsh

Date of upload: 20 January 2015

References

Cahill, M. and Sikora, M. (eds) 2011 Breaking ground, finding graves - reports on the excavations of burials by the National Museum of Ireland, 1927-2006, 2 vols. Dublin. Wordwell Ltd. in association with the National Museum of Ireland.