What is recorded here
Marianne stood beside the excavation trench at Carrowkeel, watching the men lift soil from the children's burial ground. She believed the dead should rest undisturbed, yet the men worked carefully because the land was about to become a housing estate. The contrast between innocent lives and new houses filled her with grief.
The Burial Ground marked on the 3rd edition of the OS 6-inch map consists of a slightly raised area 43.5m E-W and 13.5m N-S. It is very overgrown and covered with field clearance stones.
The above description was derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century.' Compiled by: Brian Lacey with Eamon Cody, Claire Cotter, Judy Cuppage, Noel Dunne, Vincent Hurley, Celie O'Rahilly, Paul Walsh and Seán Ó Nualláin (Lifford: Donegal County Council, 1983). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated.
Date of upload: 22 September 2008
Excavation licence number 99E0679
Testing was carried out on the site of the proposed development of eleven houses, a roadway, a sewage treatment plant and related percolation area east of Quigley's Point in the vicinity of the site of a burial-ground at Carrowkeel td, Co. Donegal, at the north-east of the shore of Lough Foyle. The site is on a south-south-west-facing slope, at the base of which is a north-west/south-east-flowing stream.
Testing was carried out on 27 November 1999. Using a wide, toothless trenching bucket, twenty test-trenches were excavated.
The natural olive to yellow/brown subsoil was sealed by a series of deposits of silts, gravels and sands. These strata in turn underlay a deposit of small to medium-sized stones, widely undulating sod and topsoil. Nothing of archaeological significance was noted. (Excavations Bulletin 1999)
Declan Moore, 8 Yewland Green, Renmore, Galway.
Excavation licence number 99E0167 ext
Monitoring of construction works on the proposed Clar-Barnesmore road realignment was carried out between the townlands of Spierstown and Friarbush, Co. Donegal, between 12 April 1999 and 10 April 2000. The underlying geology consisted of gleys, with peaty gleys, inter-drumlin peats and acid-brown earths as associated soils. These strata consistently overlay a compact, blue/grey, sandy boulder clay and limestone bedrock exposed at the base of excavations. An archaeological excavation was carried out at Keadew Lower, a drying kiln (Excavations 1999, 42, 99E0379). Advance archaeological testing was also carried out at Friarbush townland, on a series of modern field ditches (Excavations 1999, 42, 99E0505). Nothing further of major archaeological significance was noted. (Excavations Bulletin 2000)
Declan Moore, Moore Archaeological and Environmental Services Ltd, 200 Dún na Coiribe, Galway, for Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.
The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.
- What survives
- Recorded monument
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