Grave Yard — Inishcaltra OR Holy Island

A subrectangular enclosure (21m E-W; 20m N-S) on a S-facing slope surrounding St. Brigid’s church (CL029-009006-) and named ‘Graveyard’ on the 1920 OS 6-inch map. Defined by a roughly coursed, mortared wall (at W: int. H 0.66m; Wth 0.83m; ext. H 1m) with a round-headed entrance (Wth 0.73m; H 1.73m) midway along the S wall with a simple moulding inside. Before excavation in 1970-71 it was defined at W, N and E by an earthen bank with some stone. Excavation took place here from 1970 to 1972 and revealed that the enclosure had been repaired and rebuilt several times with a drystone wall forming the last in a series of enclosing features. Paving inside the wall was associated with the making of stations or rounds. No burials were found within the enclosure. A deep V-shaped fosse along the N sector and a broad shallow fosse at E were considered to be features of an early phase of activity on the island. A hazel sample from the fill of the enclosure fosse at N yielded radiocarbon dates of Cal AD 992-1150 (UBA-27540)(Seaver and O'Sullivan 2015, 12-13, 33). Fragments of two bone combs from the fill date to AD c. 1050-1125 (ibid., 13). The building of St. Mary’s church (CL029-009008-) c. 30m to the S very early in the 13th century involved the construction of the mortared stone wall which now forms the S boundary of the enclosure. A copper-working furnace (CL029-009128-) was found within the enclosure just W of the doorway of St. Brigid’s church and there was evidence of iron-working (CL029-009129-) within the enclosure immediately N of the church. Further metalworking evidence (CL019-009130-) was revealed outside the enclosure to the W. Iniscealtra is a national monument in state care, no. 5. (De Paor 1970; 1971; 2013, 28, 31-6) Revised by: Mary Tunney Date of revision: 18 July 2016