Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Saggart (Teach Sagard) graveyard has a raised interior and is oval in plan (dims. c. 70m N-S x c. 52m E-W) with traces of an inner fosse at the base of slope running from N to SE (dims. Wth 5-7m, D 0.4m) with Saggart church site (DU021-034002-) in the centre. The plan of the graveyard indicates the probable existence of an ecclesiastical enclosure (DU021-034001-) associated with St. Mosacra who founded a monastery at Saggart in the 7th century. There is a granite cross-slab (DU021-034004-) set upright in the NW end of Saggart graveyard and a plain granite Latin cross DU021-034006-) in the centre of the graveyard and S of church foundations. It is missing one arm (dims. H 0.7m, Wth 0.7m, T 0.15m). A granite Latin cross lies near foundations of the medieval parish church. A granite finial was originally discovered in 1956 c. 4m out from the SW section of the graveyard wall. It lies NW of the church site. A cross base was formerly located at the E end of the graveyard. A carved stone head of granite was found in the graveyard (dims. H 0.4m x Wth 0.35m x D 0.15m) (Fitzgerald 1906-8, 15, 114; Ó Ríordáin 1947, 77, 86).

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 24 March 2023

References

Ó Ríordáin, S.P. 1947 Miscellaneous discoveries in the Dublin neighbourhood. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 77, 84-5.

FitzGerald, Lord W. 1906-8b The churchyards of Rathcoole and Saggart. Journal of the Kildare Archaeological Society 20, 114.