Children's burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument No. 10032. Calluragh burial ground (KE034-023001-) /An Cheallúnach: Situated on the lower W slopes of Brandon mountain, this burial ground lies at the N side of a sub-rectangular field, 49m E-W x 35m N-S, which is enclosed on the N, W and S sides by modern field walls and on its E side by a low scarp or step, revetted with a rough facing of large boulders; this latter does not define any boundary at present but may relate to an earlier enclosure. The slightly curved outline of the S wall may also indicate the existence of an earlier, possibly circular, enclosure.
The burial ground itself consists of a slightly raised area, 11.5m N-S x 12m E-W, which is occupied by low stony mounds, possibly graves. In the centre is a mound of loose stones, including some quartz, which measures 6.3m N-S x 1.8m E-W and which is delimited along part of its W side by possible stone facing. A cross-slab is set loosely into this mound. The W edge of the burial area is defined by a terrace or step, revetted with a rough facing of large boulders which may be related to an earlier enclosure. Children were still being buried here in the 19th century (OSNB Kilquane, 21).
The NE corner of the field is occupied by the ruined foundations of a rectangular building (KE034-023003-) which measures 6.1m E-W x 3.4m N-S internally. The walls are reduced to a grass-grown band of stone collapse, 1.5m wide and no more than .5m high, though one possible outer facing stone remains in situ in the N wall. A possible entrance, .6m wide, lies at the E side of the S wall. This structure has previously been interpreted as a church (Curran no.23), but no features survive which might confirm this suggestion. The remainder of the field was formerly cultivated (Curran) and the only other features now visible are a group of 3 stones set on edge in the E sector and a single stone set on edge in the NE corner; it is possible that the latter defined one side of an entrance, the other side being marked by an outward turn in the stone-faced scarp. The lower disc of a rotary quern was found lying against the S wall of the field.
Cross-slab (KE034-023002-) This roughly rectangular slab measures .72m in height, .26m in width and .07m in thickness but is now broken in two. Its present W face is decorated with a Latin cross with expanded terminals to head and arms; the wider expansion of the right arm, in comparison to that of the left arm, may partly be due to erosion. The base of the cross ends with a more elaborate motif whose outline is not entirely clear. However, it appears to take the form of a pair of conjoined ovals.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 817. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 7 August 2013