Grave Yard — Inishshark

On a small headland immediately to the NW of the quay at the SE end of Inishshark. On inspection in August 1984, this roughly rectangular burial ground (23.8m NW-SE; c. 21.8m ENE-WSW) was bounded on the NW and NE by a drystone wall and on the other sides by eroding cliffs. Burials were marked by simple stone-lined graves, with head and footstones, and single grave-markers. Both adults and children were buried here. It was noted that the site was under threat from the effects of natural weathering and erosion (SMR file). The Cultural Landscapes of the Irish Coast (CLIC) project has been surveying and monitoring the burial ground since 2008. Following the significant storms of the winter of 2013-14, an updated survey was carried out (Kuijt and Lash 2017). It identified roughly 66 graves and while the best preserved were located in the NE of the burial ground and may be post-AD 1900 in date, it is likely that some of the graves may date to the medieval period. Most of the head and footstones were unworked and appeared to be of local stone. However, two worked stones (see cross GA009D008001- and possible cross-slab GA009D008002-) may be of medieval origin. It was found that three separate caves that extend many metres from the cliff edge are undercutting the burial ground and it is possible that 3m metres have been lost from the surface of some parts of it in recent years (ibid., 3, 5). (Gosling 1993, 175, no. 994) The following images have been uploaded: GA009D008----_01 View of burial ground from NW showing undercutting caves GA009D008----_06 View of grave-markers Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 29 March 2023 Kuijt, I. and Lash, R. 2017 Inishark cemetery survey and impact assessment. Inishark, county Galway, Ireland. Registration number - E001086 Inishark cemetery (GA009D008). Unpublished report for National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.