What is recorded here

In 1949, sand-diggers at Aghade in County Carlow broke through soil and revealed at least eight early Christian burials. The dead lay stretched flat, heads pointing north or north-north-west, without grave goods or protective covering. Only one burial was formally excavated before the sand operation moved on, leaving the full extent of the cemetery unknown. The site remains a quiet warning that much of Ireland's early medieval landscape still waits beneath ordinary ground.

The following description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Carlow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1993). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 Rectangular area, partly enclosed by stone wall (dims. c. 50m N-S x 45m E-W). Four nineteenth-century gravestones visible. No trace of any structure. Possible estate graveyard.

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