Burial ground in Newtown (garrycastle By.)

In May 1963 a number of human skeletons were discovered during quarrying operations near Lusmagh, Co. Offaly. A skull and some bones were noticed protruding from the upper face of the sandpit. Skeletons had been found here over a few years but these had all been reburied. Work at the sandpit was halted as a result of the discovery, which was reported to the NMI by the Garda Siochana at Banagher, Co. Offaly. A rescue excavation was undertaken by Peter Danaher. The human remains were re-interred in the local cemetery. This report is based on Danaher's account and plan of the site. In 1997 burials (OF029-023----) were discovered in the same quarry in the adjacent townland of Newtown. The site was visited by Mary Cahill on behalf of the NMI and, later, by Dr. Elizabeth O'Brien on behalf of the National Monuments Section, Dept. Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. On this occasion the site was not excavated as this area was not due to be disturbed any further by Banagher Concrete. Kilmochonna Church and graveyard (OF029-012/012001-) are located some 500m west of the site. However disturbed human bone was collected from the quarry floor and a loose bone from an undisturbed burial in the bank was also removed. Bones were visible in the face of the pit approximately 0.5m below the surface. Lazy beds had been dug across the ridge in a north-west/south-east direction. It was evident from surface indications that these had been dug subsequent to the burial of the bodies. Trial trenches were dug across the lazy beds a few metres back from the edge of the sandpit. The remains of five incomplete skeletons were discovered, all lying on a vein of fine sand approximately 0.50m under a gravel-rich clay layer. No other features were noted and they were presumably simple dug graves without any stone protection. Four of these were oriented west-east and the fifth lay in a south-north direction with the feet to the north. All of the skeletons lay in a supine position, and from what remained, appeared to be extended. Graves 1 and 2 lay side-by-side and were located approximately four metres from graves 3, 4 and 5, which were in close proximity to each other. Grave 1 One half of this skeleton had collpased over the edge of the sandpit. The body lay in a supine position with the head to the west and the feet to the east. The lower jawbone and teeth were present but no skull (probably due to the furrow at this point), and only the left ribs, pelvis, femur, tibia and fibula remained. This was thought by the excavator to be the remains of a child. Grave 2 According to Danaher, this was an adult skeleton. It lay beside skeleton A with the head probably opposite the pelvis of grave 1. The body lay in a supine position with the head to the west and the feet to the east. The remains consisted of the left part of the pelvis, femur, tibia and foot bones-the right tibia and foot bones-the rest had presumably collpased over the edge of the pit. Grave 3 This was identified by Danaher as an adult skeleton. It was located immediately underneath skeleton D. It lay in a supine position with the head to the north and the feet to the west. The remains consisted of skull, ribs, pelvis and right femur. Grave 4 Danaher identified this as the remains of an adult skeleton. This lay in a supine position with the head to the west and the feet to the east. The remains consisted of both tibiae and the feet bones. Grave 5 According to Danaher the remains were that of an adult skeleton. This lay in a supine position with the head to the west and the feet to the east. The remains consisted of pelvis, both femora and a tibia. In her report for the Nat. Mons Section, Dr. O'Brien commented that it is likely that the ruined medieval church is the site of an ancient foundation. Saint Mochonna, possibly of Lusmag, is recorded in the lists of Irish saints in Corpus genealogiarum sanctorum Hiberniae (O Riain 1985, 149). O'Brien considers that this may represent a secular ancestral cemetery which lay outside the church boundaries. Compiled by Caimin O'Brien Date of upload / revision : 30 September 2010