Burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

On a high gravel ridge, now completely removed by quarrying, overlooking the River Suir to the S. In 1988 burials came to light following the reporting of human bones found in a section of the Roadstone quarry near Cahir. The burials, which consisted of 30 individuals, were subsequently excavated and examined. The burials occupied an area approximately 10m². A roughly circular field boundary indicated on the 2nd (1906) ed. 6-inch map (diam. c. 113m N-S; c. 100m E-W) encloses the highest part of the ridge which incorporates the area of burial. This may be a stone-walled enclosure which apparently enclosed the summit. Only the eastern half of the boundary is indicated on the 1st (1840) ed. 6-inch OS map. Traces of a mortared stone wall were found during the excavation. The burials, which included men, women and children, consisted of extended inhumations, buried in simple shallow pits, and aligned E-W with their heads to the W. No grave-markers were noted, nor was there any evidence of grave-goods, coffins or other coverings. Radiocarbon-dates from a sample of the human remains provide a date range of 1200±35 BP, which calibrates to 693-941 AD to 1080±35 BP, which calibrates to 893-1019 AD. (Cahill and Holland 1988, 36; Cahill and Sikora 2011, vol. 2, 173-97).

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 20 November 2012

References

Cahill, M. and Holland, P. 1989 'Sand Pit Grove', Caherabbey Lower: Cemetery. in I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1988: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 36. Dublin. Wordwell.

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.