Burial

The National Monuments Service's description

The files of the National Museum of Ireland records that in February 1961 human remains were discovered while digging the foundations of a house at Killinlahan, near Castletown Geoghegan, Co. Westmeath (Cahill & Sikora 2011, vol. 2, 521-2). A human skull was noticed protruding from the edge of a trench at a depth of c.1m below ground level. On instruction from the Coroner, the bones were exhumed by Dr Kelly, Tyrellspass. They were identified as human and the presence of teeth and limb bones was noted. The remains were retained by the Gardaí. According to their report, a ringfort was located close to the site, which was reputed to be an old graveyard. No details as to the disposition of the remains are known, and as no further digging was to be done for the foundation, no further remains were unearthed. Although the townland name is Killinlahan it was known locally in the anglicised form as Broadwood, and this may indicate that the remains were discovered near Broadwood House where an enclosure (WM032-079----) is marked on the SMR just west of Broadwood Cottage. A ringfort (WM032-080----) is noted a little to the south-west (NMI File).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 08 December 2010

References

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.