What is recorded here

Grave Yard is a square infant burial ground on Inis Cealtra, where most new-born children were laid to rest with quartz pebbles beside them. It contained a small church and a penitential stone, marking it as a place of both loss and devotion. The chamber was built twice, first with earth and later with stone, suggesting the community kept returning to honour the dead. Much of it has vanished under vegetation, but the purpose remains written in the stones.

Situated towards the centre of Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) within a possible ringfort (CL029-009131-). A roughly square enclosure (max. dim. c. 15m) excavated in 1972-3. Prior to excavation it was defined by a low stony bank. Construction was found to have been in two phases, the first consisting of an earthen bank and fosse and later an unmortared stone wall. Some remains of stone paving were found running along the inside of the wall. The enclosure had been used as a burial ground, exclusively for infants, almost all new-born. A handful of quartz pebbles and a long stone pebble were deposited in most of the graves. Macalister noted an entrance (Wth 0.81m) in the middle of the S side with two jambstones on the E side and one on the W. A small cell or church (CL029-009003-) lay within the enclosure. A large sandstone block (CL029-009052-) within the burial ground was used as a penitential station during pilgrimage rounds. The area is much overgrown and only the penitential stations is evident. (Macalister 1916, 117-18; de Paor 1973; de Paor 1997; de Paor 2013, 36-7) Compiled by: Mary Tunney Date of upload: 13 October 2-15

A possible early medieval Christian cemetery associated with a ringfort; significance relates to its potential monastic or burial function on a historically important holy island.

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