Children's burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

Children's Burial Ground: This site is located on the lower S slopes of Coombe Hill, Valencia Island, and overlooks Portmagee Channel and the mainland beyond. It is located in the SW corner of a large field, and abuts the townland boundary at W. Consisting of a raised area of earth and stone of approximately square plan, 13m N-S x 12.5m E-W, it rises to a maximum of 0.6m above external ground level. A stony bank measuring 7.5m long traverses the site E-W, near its N limit. Just outside its SE comer is a stony mound of irregular plan which measures 3m x 2.3m. The surface of the site is occupied by a number of quartz blocks and about eighty upright grave-markers, most of which are arranged in N-S rows; these average 0.35m high and 0.25m wide. A few instances of paired uprights, with prostrate slabs in between, are visible.

The above description is derived from O'Sullivan, A. and Sheehan, J. (compilers) 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University press. (1996), no. 982. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 18 June 2013