Burial

The National Monuments Service's description

Site of a burial mound (LA013-027002-) that was levelled. During levelleing operations carried out under a land reclamation scheme in 1953, a number of skeletons, orientated E-W, were found c. 1m below ground level. No evidence of wood or stone protection around the burials and no grave goods. Possible famine burials (OPW files).
Archaeological testing in the vicinity of the burial was carried out by John Purcell in 2004 under excavation licence no. 04E0078.
The National Museum of Ireland recorded that in 'March 1953 human remains were discovered during bulldozing operations at Ballydavis, near Portlaoise, Co. Laois. The site in question was a gravel pit, which was being partly levelled and cleared of overgrowth under the Land Reclamation Scheme. According to the workmen at the site, six to eight skeletons had been discovered and removed from the site. The site was investigated by Ellen Prendergast. As far as could be ascertained, the remains had been found at various points on the top of the gravel mound under about 0.3m of soil, and darker patches of soil- visible in the section may indicate the original location of the burials. No objects of any description were found. The burials appear to have been extended, but the orientation was not recorded. According to Prendergast, a number of other in situ remains were noted, and these appeared to be aligned west/east. There was no evidence for any stone protection around any of the burials. The remains were not acquired but were handed over to Inventory of uninvestigated reports of human remains the local parish priest, who was to arrange for reburial. More recently, excavations in this townland produced evidence for a prehistoric complex including four ring-ditches, seven furnaces and a number of pits and post-holes (Cahill & Sikora 2011, Vol. 2, 487-8).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 10 August 2012

References

Cahill, M. and Sikora, M. (eds) 2011 Breaking ground, finding graves - reports on the excavations of burials by the National Museum of Ireland, 1927-2006, 2 vols. Dublin. Wordwell Ltd. in association with the National Museum of Ireland.