Burial in Carrickmines Great

Breen (2012, 236-7) recorded the following details about the 17th century mass grave found in Trench N at Carrickmines Castle (DU026-005001-); 'Near the western side of Trench N, two mass graves were found, immediately below the sod layer, with two further burials nearby. The first mass burial, the larger grave, F168, Burial 1 (Figure 49), consisted of a sub-rectangular cut, measuring 3.30m x 1.50m in plan, with a maximum, depth of 0.50m. No break of slope could be seen as top or base, and the sides sloped down gradually to a slightly rounded base. It contained 9 skeletons. These appeared to have been haphazardly placed in the grave, with skeletons lying head to foot and on top of each other, but there was an overall NE/SW orientation. Two skeletons lying with their heads to the west (skeletons 2 and 3) appear to have been placed beside each other in the grave first. Next, skeletons 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10 were placed with heads to the west and subsequently skeletons 6 and 9 were placed with their heads to the east. Relatively few finds were recovered in direct association with the skeletons. Some smaller fragments of pottery were retrieved from the backfill material, but more importantly, alongside the left femur bone of skeleton 9 (alternatively the right femur of skeleton 8) a silver coin hoard was found. This hoard, containing eight Elizabethan sixpences and two Elizabethan shillings were all in perfect condition. Beside the elbow of the left arm of skeleton 8 a James I shilling was retrieved and beside the right femur bone of skeleton 6, in the loose spoil just outside the grave cut, yet another Elizabethan sixpence was found. As all these coins were found so close to the body, there is a possibility that they were sewn into the clothes. Unfortunately no textiles or organic materials survived. A pin brooch was found on the right side of the spine of skeleton 2, and an earring of copper alloy was discovered close to either left femur of skeleton b (or the right tibia of skeleton 4). Other finds associated with the skeleton are one musket ball, two metal objects and one pin (found on the femur, close to the knee of skeleton 4). The eastern end of the grave had been truncated, probably by later agricultural activities. The second mass burial Approximately 3.00m north-west of the first grave was a second, with 8 skeletons. The cut for this grave could not be traced. The skeletons were lying in the same orientation as the skeletons from grave F168 (NE–SW) and on a flat surface and like skeletons 2–10 at a shallow depth under the sod layer. The skeletons from this grave were in a much more fragile condition than those in grave F168, and some cases only a few scattered bones remained of a skeleton. The grave had been truncated in several places, to the northeast and south, probably by more recent agricultural activity. Unlike grave F168, only one find was directly associated with a skeleton: an iron key lying directly under the right lower arm of skeleton 12. Other burials and human remains A single burial was found between the two mass graves, containing the remains of a child aged between 9 and 10 years. An individual skeleton was found 7.45m north-east of the two mass graves. This was called Skeleton 19. The body was found lying face down on a flat surface in a NE–SW direction. There was no visible grave cut. There was little evidence of truncation, but the condition of this skeleton was quite poor. It may have been damaged by root disturbance as it was near the later hedge bounding the garden of the modern farmhouse. Various fragments of disarticulated bones were found in different parts of the site, including a group from the inner fosse of the north-eastern enclosure'. Breen, T. 2012 Report on the Findings of the Archaeological Excavations at Carrickmines, Co. Dublin - Carried out under licences 00E0525, 02E1532 and Ministerial Directions. M50 South-eastern Motorway Scheme 4 volumes. Prepared on behalf of V.J. Keely Ltd. for Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. See attached site plan showing location of burials, photos, and plan, taken from excavation report under licence No. 00E0525, 02E1532, Breen 2012, Vol. 4. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 3 January 2023