Children's burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

This site is described by the OS as a circular calluragh burial ground, 20 feet (6m) in diameter, at the centre of which was a grave marked at one end by a cross-inscribed stone (OSM; OSNB Dunquin, 27). The name Tigh Mhóire, applied to the site in much of the literature, refers to a cabin located about 60m to NE (OSL). Although there appeared to be no particular name for the burial ground in the early 19th century (OSL), An Seabhac (1939, 75) records the names Uaigh Mhóire and Teampall Mhóire for the traditional burial place of the goddess Mór in the townland and it may be the grave in the calluragh to which he refers. There is also a local tradition that the grave is the burial place of the Prince d'Ascoli, son of Phillip of Spain, who drowned when the Santa Maria de la Rosa was wrecked in the Blasket Sound in 1588 (O'Sullivan 1931, 560).
The townland boundary between Vicarstown and Glebe follows for the most part the course of a small stream. However it kinks S to include in Vicarstown the site of the calluragh on the S side of the stream. The only features now visible at the site are the 'grave' and cross-inscribed stone and a possible clochaun.
The grave is a leacht - type feature (KE052-022004-) consisting of a rectangular mound, 5.7m N-S x 4m E-W, on which are laid some large prostrate slabs. Two standing stones surmount the mound near its NW and SE ends. The NW stone is .45m high, and measures .35 x .3m at base. The SE stone is 1.25m high and .25m wide and is decorated on both faces. The E face bears a simple cross with slightly expanded terminals and the W face is inscribed with faint linear markings. A 2nd cross-inscribed stone lay loose beside the latter in the 19th century (Du Noyer, Antiquarian Sketches, vol.4, no.5). It was a roughly circular stone inscribed on one face with a Maltese cross within a circle.
The townland boundary wall to E of the grave exhibits a pronounced curve which may indicate the site of a clochaun (KE052-022003-) and there is a small semi-circular recess at ground level on its inner face here. The latter is .5m wide, .55m high and 1m deep.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage (compiler) 'Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey.' Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne (1986), no. 877. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 30 May 2013