Children's burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

Within the S half a rath (GA094-062----). Known locally as a 'killeen', this children's burial ground consists of an irregular unenclosed area within which a number of haphazardly placed set stones are visible. According to local information, plague victims were buried here in the 17th C. Lynch Athy (1914, 139) recorded that it was the custom whenever a burial occurred here the mourners gathered at St Cornane's Well (GA094-069----), c. 208m to the SSE, to wash three corners of the sheet that covered the coffin and to pray for the deceased person's soul. (McCaffrey 1952, 123, no. 24)

Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG

Edited by: Olive Alcock

Date of revised upload: 27 April 2023

References

McCaffrey, P. 1952 A contribution to the archaeology of the barony of Dunkellin, Co. Galway. Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.

Lynch Athy, M. 1914 Notes on the Ordnance Survey Letters relating to the Barony of Dunkellin, Co. Galway: IV - Oranmore Parish. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 8, 129-98.