Burial in Back OF THE Hill — Report the wrong picture

What is recorded here

In 1967, diggers opened a ringfort in County Longford and found a man stretched head-west inside a hollowed tree trunk. He may have been Maine, son of Niall of the nine hostages, though that is local story rather than proven fact. The narrow coffin, three boulders above it and east-of-centre position mark a deliberate early medieval burial, not a discarded body.

Found in 1967 in the course of the excavation of a ringfort (LF019-047----). The burial remains, probably male, lay 'east of the centre of the rath' (NMI Topographic file) in a pit measuring c. 2m W–E, 1m N–S and 1m deep. A label attached to the remains records the following: 'Extended Iron-Age inhumation lying in East-West orientation, head to the West, found in interior of rath, reputed to be that of Maine, son of Niall of the nine hostages. Grave approximately 1m deep below the old ground level, excavated in a solid drift. Body was in a narrow, straight-sided lidded wooden coffin, arms extended along the sides. Fill of grave was organic. Three boulders in upper fill. Soil conditions in general were poor for preservation of bone. Approximate date of burial 4th-5th centuries A.D.' (ibid., pers. comm. A. Halpin). The excavator believed the burial had been placed in a tree trunk coffin. The form of the burial, and the orientation and position of the skeleton strongly suggests that the burial is of early medieval date (Coleman 2014, 132). Updated by: Paul Walsh Revised date of upload: 21 January 2015

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