Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Immediately to the E of the E wall of the church (GA021-026014-) on High Island. Eight graves, some of which are slab-lined, were uncovered during the course of excavations (Scally 2014). Graves 3, 4, 5 and 8 pre-dated the church and were subsequently partially restructured and incorporated into the foundations of its E wall. Graves 2, 6 and 7 were pseudo graves (i.e. graves that were not used for burial); it was not possible to excavate Grave 8. Graves 1, 3, 4 and 5 contained extended inhumations dating from the mid-9th to the late 12th century. Fourteen decorated cross-slabs (see GA021-026032- to GA021-026045-) are associated. The graves appear to have been reserved for the elite of the community and are in an area regarded as the most sacred part of the monastery. Graves 3 and 4 were exceptionally well made and either may have contained the remains of St Gormgal who died in 1018. It is likely that the graves were an important place of pilgrimage associated with the cult of relics. Two graves, Graves 9 and 10, were uncovered within the church. Grave 9, an unmarked grave, was found in the NE corner. It contained an extended inhumation dating from the late 12th/early 13th century. Grave 10, another pseudo grave, was found in the NW corner. One other grave, Grave 11, was uncovered outside the NE entrance to the church enclosure (GA021-026021-). It contained incomplete skeletal remains dating from the early 11th to the mid-12th century. This grave was also subsequently restructured (ibid., 67-9, 72-85, 90-93, 309-11, 315-16). (Herity 1987, 141-3; White Marshall and Rourke 2000, 102-24)

Compiled by: Olive Alcock

Date of upload: 14 December 2015

The following image has been appended: GA021-026026-_01 View graves 1 to 8 from N.

References

Herity, M. 1987b The ornamented tomb of the saint at Ardoileán, Co. Galway. In M. Ryan (ed.), Ireland and Insular art A.D. 500-1200, 141-3. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy.

White Marshall, J. and Rourke, G.D. 2000 High Island: an Irish monastery in the Atlantic. Dublin. Town House and Country House.

Scally, G. 2014 High Island (Ardoileán), Co. Galway: excavation of an early medieval monastery. Archaeological Monograph Series 10. Dublin. The Stationery Office.