Burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

Archaeological investigations (07E0667) were undertaken at this site in 2007 (Halliday 2007). A series of trenches were excavated and revealed two burial grounds (ME042-033----; ME042-034----), a possible burnt mound (ME042-036----) and a possible prehistoric circular structure (ME042-037----). ‘A series of trenches were excavated across the southern area of the proposed development and a significant number of archaeological features were identified. The majority of these were concentrated in the eastern part of the development and included two distinct burial grounds that are thought to date to the Early Medieval period. . . . The second burial was located c. 160m to the north of the first [ME042-034----] with 29 separate bone concentrations bring identified. Where grave cuts were recorded they were all found to be oriented east-west again suggesting an Early Medieval date. As with the southern graveyard, these burials were probably enclosed by a circular ditch, this time measuring c. 45-50m in diameter. Furthermore, some of the burials were recorded as truncating a linear feature indicating that there was activity in this area prior of the creation of the burial ground. Images of the enclosure were captured by Noel and Conor Murphy in near-drought conditions during July 2018.

A high number of other features were also identified in close proximity to this northern graveyard, but no further investigation was undertaken at this stage. As a result, it is impossible to interpret the function of any of these features.’ (ibid., executive summary).

Compiled by: Paul Walsh

Date of upload: 8 February 2015

References

Halliday, S. 2007 Archaeological testing report: proposed quarry extension (sic). Licence No. 07E0667. Unpublished report: Arch-Tech. Dublin