Children's burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

On ESE facing slope of rising ground overlooking Multeen river valley in upland area. Poorly preserved remains of a children's burial ground consisting of a rectangular area (dims. 13m N-S x 5m E-W) defined by an earth and stone bank (Wth 2m; int. H 0.7m) visible at W only, with a silage pit and farm buildings built up against bank on E and N sides. Described by Crawford (1910, 51) as a small mound near Hollyford said to mark the resting place of a legendary hero named Eamon-a-Cnuic (Ned of the Hills). Excavated by M.J. O Kelly in 1963 after a skull was discovered during digging of foundations for a monument to Eamon-a-Cnuic in the same year. The excavation revealed that the skull belonged to an extended skeleton which had been placed in a shallow pit, in the SW corner of the foundation trench a second burial pit was exposed containing decayed bone fragments. Low boulders protruding from the surface of the platform were noted by O'Kelly and he concluded that this was a Killeen. Local tradition recorded this field as "the Killeen field" which supported the findings of O'Kellys excavation (NMI Topographical files, 1963). O'Kelly noted that the monument consisted of a low platform enclosed by an earth and stone bank from W through N to NE with traces of a shallow ditch from E through S to W. O'Kelly recorded the local tradition that "Ned of the Hills" was captured and beheaded in the Foilaclug/Curraheen area. The assassin was bringing the head to Clonmel to claim the reward. On the way he heard that Ned had been pardoned and got rid of the head by dumping it in a stream. The head was found and brought to Ned's sister, who with her friends, got it buried in the Killeen in Curraheen townland.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 26 August 2011

References

Crawford, H.S. 1910 The dolmens of Tipperary. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 40, 38-51.

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.