Burial

The National Monuments Service's description

An account of this burial was described by Cahill and Sikora (2011 vol. 2, 492) was described as following; 'In September 1995, remains were discovered on the grounds of the convent school of the Holy Trinity Church at Blackabbey townland, Adare, Co. Limerick. The school was undergoing renovation, which involved the removal of the flagstone surface of the yard. The remains were found immediately beneath the surface of the yard in a shallow pit measuring approximately 1m square. The surrounding soil is described as yellow clay. The site was reported to the National Museum and was visited on its behalf by Larry Walsh, curator of Limerick Museum. According to Walsh, the medieval Trinitarian abbey (LI021-032008-) was restored by the earl of Dunraven in 1811 and enlarged in 1852. Another portion of the abbey ruin was converted into a convent for the Sisters of Mercy in 1854, and in 1869 a chapel and infants' school were added. According to Walsh, the bones were mainly limb bones and appeared to be redeposited burials, which had been disturbed by the mid-nineteenth-century building work. The remains were reinterred locally'.

Compiled by: Denis Power

Date of upload: 21 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. Two Volumes. Dublin, Wordwell Ltd. In association with the National Museum of Ireland.