Burial ground in Borris Great

Situated atop small glacial hillock overlooking wet marshy land and stream immediately to N with good views of surrounding countryside in all directions. Just N of the stream is the townland boundary between Borris Great and Rathnamanagh. Skeletal remains were first discovered in 1993 at a depth of 0.45m below the ground surface when the landowner quarried into the W face of a glacial ridge (NMS file F9456081). The human remains consisting of two individuals were taken away from the quarry and examined by Dr. Gilsenan, a pathologist based in Portlaoise General Hospital. The pathologist informed the NMS that the skeletal material comprised the remains of two individuals, one of which he believed to be the remains of an adult female, the skull of which survived but the remaining bones of this burial had been scattered by the quarrying operations. The site was inspected by the NMS on the 18/01/1994, at that time no other skeletal material was visible in exposed faces of the gravel pit (NMS File F9456081). According to the landowner approx. three years ago when he was drawing some gravel out of the pit new skeletal material became exposed in the NW face of the gravel pit. The discovery of this new burial was reported to the National Monuments Service by local archaeologist Mr. Sean Murray. The skull and shoulder bones of an intact human inhumation are exposed in the northwest face of the sandpit. The human remains are visible at the base of the topsoil 0.35m below the surface of the field. A second cluster of bones are located at the same depth 1.5m northeast of the skull and may form part of the same burial. A third cluster of bones exposed in the northwest face of the sandpit are located 1.85m northeast of second cluster of bone material. It is clear that these burials form part of an unrecorded burial ground and that the human remains taken away from the site in 1993 formed part of this burial ground. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 21 April 2015