Urn burial

The National Monuments Service's description

At the rear of a modern dwelling, located inside a large field system (LI048-034001-),
W of an archaeological complex (LI048-034006/042-) located on the 'Supposed Site of Temaír Erann', which was the ancient cemetery of the Ernai tribe on Slievereagh (Sliabh Riabhach) (Westropp 1919, 9; Westropp 1917-19, 179; Westropp 1918, 111). Urn Burial 'A 'discovered by a farmer digging potatoes in 1967 and excavated by Rynne and O’Sullivan (1966-67, 103-107) on behalf of the National Museum of Ireland. A second urn burial (LI048-034014-) was revealed 1.45m to the NE. Excavations uncovered the remains of an urn burial described by Rynne and O’Sullivan (1966-67, 103-105) as follows; ‘The first burial discovered consisted of a pit dug into the boulder clay and containing a Cinerary Urn inverted over cremated human bones. Mixed with the bones were some charcoal fragments, all of hazel (Corylus), and nearer the bottom of the pit was a badly corroded fragment of bronze blade, while lying against the outside of the urn, at a height of about 9.5cm above the rim, was a flint artifact. Due to disturbance before the nature of the discovery was realised, the basal portion of the urn had been sheared off. The outline of the pit could be traced for almost half of its circumference and to a remaining depth of about 10cm. The bottom of the pit coincided with the mouth of the urn and highest remaining part of the pit was 5cm out from the wall of the vessel.’

See attached drawing from Rynne and O’Sullivan.

Compiled by: Fiona Rooney

Date of upload: 7 September 2021

References

Westropp, T.J. 1919 The ancient places of assembly in the counties Limerick and Clare. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 49, 1-24.

Kavanagh, R.M. 1976 Collared and cordoned cinerary urns in Ireland. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 76C, 349-350.

Westropp, T.J. 1917-19 The Earthworks, Traditions, and the Gods of South-Eastern Co. Limerick, Especially from Knocklong to Temair Erann. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature 34, 127-183.

Westropp, T.J. 1918 Temair Erann, an Ancient Cemetery of the Ernai on Slievereagh, County Limerick. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquities of Ireland, 111-20.

Rynne, E. and O’Sullivan, J. C. 1966-67 Two urn-burials from Cush, Co. Limerick. North Munster Archaeological Journal, 103-107.