What is recorded here

In late 1916, quarrying near Ardee broke through the sod to reveal twelve slab-lined graves holding partial bones and two adult male skulls. The dead had faced west on a gentle slope, waiting patiently for the shock of steel and the arrival of living witnesses. They had guarded that quiet rise long before the quarry came to take it.

Late in 1916 human bones were discovered just beneath the sod during quarrying at Mooretown near Ardee. Twelve slab-lined graves, generally aligned W-E with the heads at the W, were identified. Only partial skeletal remains including the skulls of two adult males were recovered. The precise location was not known for a long time, but local information now places is on a rise on a gentle W-facing slope. (MacAlister 1916; MacAlister and Holtby 1917) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 March 2020

Twelve slab-lined graves, generally aligned west-east with heads at the west, date to the Early Christian period. This burial site provides insight into early medieval funerary practices in the region.

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