Burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a level landscape with the canalised NW-SE Clonard stream c. 150m to the NE. Ploughing during 2007 in the vicinity of ringwork castle (ME047-005----) exposed fragmented human remains in a concentrated area (diam. c. 19m) defined by a band of brown clay exposed by the ploughing (SMR file). The burials were close to the surface and appear to have been laid W-E with the heads at the W. From an initial examination of the dentition by Laureen Buckley they appear to lack caries and are probably medieval in date. At least ten individuals, adults and juveniles are represented. Two inhumations at different levels had come to light during 1951 in the course of roadworks at Mulphedder (Cahill and Sikora 2011, vol. 2, 504, 7.160). The exact location of these is not known, although they may have been related to the burial ground. The lower was aligned W-E with the head at W and the upper was oriented N-S with the head at N.

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Date of upload: 13 March 2013
Amended: 13 August 2019

References

SMR file - Sites and monuments record files in the National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

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.