Kilcoolaght Burial Ground

Kilcoolaght Burial Ground/Cill Chuallachta (KE065-003001-): This site is located N of Macgillycuddy's Reeks on slightly elevated ground, a short distance W of the Finglas river. Described as a 'fort' and a 'burial ground' in the OSNB (Killorglin, 38), it is depicted on the first edition of the OS map as a small circular enclosure. It was described by Brash as 'slightly raised above the level of the field, and about fifteen feet in diameter; it had evidently been much larger, but has been encroached on . . . [It] is an irregular circle without any fence, and stuck full of Dallans, from 12 in. to 4 ft. in height, several of which are inscribed’ (1879, 228). Brash also recorded a tradition that a church (KE065-003003-) formerly stood on a rectangular area of untilled ground ‘a few yards from the cilleen'. No trace of this church is now apparent. The site now consists of a small rectangular area, defined by iron railings erected in the 1940s, within which is a number of ogham stones. Hitchcock (RIA MS 24 E 13) and Macalister (1945, 200-5) recorded eight individual stones, though two join to form a single example (KE065-003009-). One stone (KE065-003010-) appears to have been removed from the site in recent years. The above description is derived from O'Sullivan, A. and Sheehan, J. (compilers) 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University press. (1996), no. 950. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 12 June 2013