What is recorded here

Kilquane is a quiet townland in County Kerry where an unmarked children's burial ground still lies hidden in a private field. In the 1940s, witnesses described a small square patch of ground that farmers refused to till because unbaptised children, and occasionally adults, were buried there. Some people called the same place a fort, blending death and defence into one mysterious landscape. The exact spot has been lost, but the warning remains: part of Kilquane still belongs to the dead.

n the 1940s a children's burial ground (KE068-079001-) was recorded in Timothy Cronin's field, about a quarter of a mile from the cemetery (KE068-014----) (Schools Manuscript, Co. Kerry). It was described as 'a patch of ground 10 feet square which is never tilled' in which unbabtized children, and occasionally adults, were buried (Schools Manuscript, Co. Kerry). It was also noted in the 1940s that this burial ground was considered by some people to be a fort (see KE068-079----). The precise location of the children's burial ground is not known. Compiled by: Elizabeth Byrne, Ursula Egan and Sheila Ronan, Archaeological Survey Unit, University College, Cork. Date of upload: 31 January 2011

Children's burial ground, likely prehistoric in date. Its significance lies in providing insight into early burial practices and possible settlement activity in the Kilquane area.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.