Kilballymurphy Burial Gd. for Children — Ballymurphy

In pasture on level ground in a multiperiod field system (CL009-013001-). Hachured as a raised subcircular area, clipped by a N-S running field boundary from NE to SE, and labelled ‘Kilballymurphy Burial Gd. for Children’ on the 1842 ed. of the OS 6-inch map, and as ‘Kilballymurphy Children’s Burial Ground’ on the 1920 ed. Listed as ‘Burial ground’ in the RMP (1996). Labelled as ‘site of Cill Bhaile Uí Mhurchadha’ on Robinson’s map (1977). The OS Letters (1839) suggest that this and another children’s burial ground (CL009-013002-) c. 745m to the WNW, in neighbouring Ballymahony townland, were probably the sites of ‘small chapels of ease to the Parish Church’ (Comber 1997, 65) at Noughaval, c. 1.3km to the SSE. The site was bulldozed away in 1983, yielding ‘rakes of human bones’, according to the then-landowner (Sheehan 1982, 47) but no remains of it can now be seen at ground level. However, it outline, subrectangular in shape (c. 18m N–S; c. 17m E–W), is visible in satellite imagery (Digital Globe [2011-2013]; Aerial Premium [2012-2018]). Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 21 October 2021