Burial ground in Moneycooly

In 2004, in advance of the construction of a large housing estate, archaeological test trenching (Duffy C. Excavation Licence No. 04E0644) followed by monitoring of topsoil-stripping over the entire site resulted in the discovery and excavation of a previously unrecorded burial ground (KD010-040----) and, c. 100m to the ESE, two bowl furnaces (KD011-061----). The burials were on a very slight rise and were set out in six rows within a roughly subrectangular area (14m E-W; 6.5m N-S), with two juvenile burials immediately to the north of the main group. The graves were simple unlined pits excavated through an upper, largely stone-free, subsoil into the surface of a lower stony clay subsoil that formed the base of the cuts. All but two were aligned east-west. There were occasional instances of small slabs laid at the side of the grave or overlying the interments. At least 55 individuals are represented among the burials, including disarticulated remains and skeletons disturbed by later grave-cuts. No artefacts were found with any of the burials, but the cemetery is most likely to date to the Early Christian period. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 11 January 2013