Burial

The National Monuments Service's description

A burial ground (KK019-026216-) consisting of mass burial pits associated with the former Kilkenny Union Workhouse (established 1843) was excavated (05E0435) in 2006 by Brenda O'Meara following its discovery by Cóilín Ó Drisceoil during archaeological monitoring (05E0435) of groundworks for the construction of the MacDonagh Junction shopping centre (O'Meara 2006, 154-62; 2009, 272). The burial ground was sited in the SE of the workhouse precinct, in an area of open space outside the women's yard of the complex. An isolated cremation burial deposit of probable Bronze Age date was also found within the site, truncated by one of the 19th-century burial pits. The burial consisted on a shallow pit (truncated L 0.66m; Wth 0.72m; D 0.06m) filled with charcoal, ash and burnt bone (O'Meara 2006, 156). Beneath the burnt remains several pieces of Bronze Age coarse ware were recovered (ibid.).

Compiled by: Cóilín Ó Drisceoil and Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 30 March 2022

References

O'Meara, B. 2006 A preliminary account of recent excavations adjacent to Kilkenny Union Workhouse. Old Kilkenny Review 58, 154-162.

O’Meara, B. 2009 Former Union Workhouse, John Street/Dublin Road, Kilkenny: cremation/19th-century workhouse burial-ground, 05E0435. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2006: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 272, no. 1056. Bray. Wordwell.