Burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

On a S-facing slope. Named 'Caldragh Church Yard' on the 1837 ed. of the OS 6-inch map and 'Site of' on the 1914 ed. This townland was known as: 'Gleann na n-Easbog, Vallis Episcoporum, Valley of the Bishops’ and was so named because ‘it contains an old graveyard, in which, according to tradition, four bishops are buried' (OSNB, Ardagh parish, 1836-7, book 4, 51). The OS Letters (1837) refer to it as a 'churchyard’ (OSL, 39). The English form of the name 'Caldragh' derives from the Irish Cealltrach meaning ‘old churchyard’: the element ceall meaning ‘church’, but the name was generally used to refer to a place of burial. The name has also come to be associated with locations used as the burial grounds of unbaptised children. However, there is no evidence to suggest that a children's burial ground existed here. The site is occupied by a modern house. A quantity of bone was discovered during the excavation of the house foundations (local information).

Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan, Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 15 April 2013