Burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

Described as ‘Brideswell Grave Yard’ on the 1839 ed. of the OS 6-inch map, and as ‘Brideswell Burial Ground’ on the 1940 edition of the map. It is situated on a gentle NW-facing slope. This is a triangular graveyard (dims. c. 40m NW-SE; c. 28m NE-SW) with a blunt apex at NE defined by an earth and stone bank. It contains two 19th-century gravestones, and a fragment of a bullaun stone. This is a piece of granite (dims 0.35m x 0.3m; surviving H 0.05-0.15m) with the base of a basin (diam. 0.17m; D 0.04m). Archaeological testing (04E1353) c. 30m to the W failed to produce an related archaeological material (Wiggins 2007), and archaeological testing (17E0427) immediately to the E had a similar result (Shanahan 2017; excavations.ie 2017: 250). Archaeological testing (16E0514) by T. Breen immediately to the NE produced no archaeological material (excavations.ie 2016:815). Bride's Well (WX005-038001-) is c. 150m to the NW with the remains of the conjoined masonry circular huts (WX006-038002-) adjacent.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1996). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload/revision: 1 March 2012
Amended: 14 May, 2014; 19 September 2019; 23 October 2020

References

Wiggins, K. 2007 Brideswell Big. No archaeological significance. in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2004: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 460, No. 1791. Dublin, Wordwell

Shanahan, S. 2017 Report on Archaeological Test Trenching at Brideswell Big, Ballyellis, Gorey, Co. Wexford. Licence No. 17E0427. Unpublished report, Shanarc archaeology