Burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

'Old Grave Yard' depicted as a circular shaped earthwork on an estate map of Rathconrath dating from 1776 (NLI, MS 21 F. 48 (026) ). This site was recorded and described in 1979 as the site of a 'large broad oval area (dims. 83m N-S; 47m E-W) outlined by a very faint low earthen bank. The bank appears to have been incoporated into an old field bank from N to E, the old field bank continues on swinging away from the site to the S. The bank is very faint and barely discernible from SSE-S-SW-W. There are no signs of an entrance. The interior is fairly level & shows faint traces of old cultivation ridges running N-S. Other such ridges can be traced running E-W in the field outside the site on E & NE. There is a low limestone block set on end to the NW of centre, this appears to be just a cattle scratching post. N & W of this & just inside the bank at the NNW, there are low banks which seem to oultine rect. Features but these are rather indefinite and appear to be disturbed. There are some shallow depressions just inside the bank at the N & E, also probably due to disturbance. The site is on top of a small natural ridge in undualting pasture land with extensive views all round. There is a large pond at the bottom of the ridge just NW of the site.' (SMR file). The site was revisited by the National Monuments Service in 1987 and in 1988 and was described then as being 'recently ploughed but no further features have been revealed' (ASI file)

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 30 November 2009

References

NLI, MS 21 F. 48 (26) - National Library of Ireland, A map of lands at Ballinbeg Rathconrath and Simonstown... in the barony of Rathconrath and County of Westmeath. Names of tenants and acreage of holdings shown. Longfield Map Collection. Dublin.