Indicated — Knoxspark

Within an inland promontory fort (SL020-166001-), on an elongated ridge, on the W bank of and at a bend of the Ballysadare River. This burial ground was uncovered in 1994 during the excavation of the promontory fort prior to the construction of the Collooney to Carraroe by-pass road (N4) (Mount 2002, 103). The importance of the discovery resulted in the realignment of the road to the E in order to cause minimal damage to this and adjacent sites (ibid.). The inhumations were of three main types: crouched, flexed and extended. In most cases the heads were oriented to the W or SW. The burials were mainly in pits, which in a few cases were outlined with stones. Some of the burials contained grave-goods, either in metal or stone, and others contained animal bones. A minimum of 185 inhumation burials was recorded, 51 examples were extended inhumations with the heads to the west and the feet to the east, two individuals were extended on their sides, three burials were crouched and three were flexed. There were 11 examples of skulls without any other body parts. Eighty-two burials were disturbed and 13 were disarticulated. Twenty burials were left in situ. At some time the burial ground was enclosed by a subrectangular enclosure (23m N-S; 19m E-W) which is indicated on the 1913 OS 6-inch map in the SE quadrant of the inland promontory fort. The enclosing drystone wall (max. T 2.2m; H 0.95m) is composed of spaced uprights and drystone-walling of boulders with a rubble or earthen core. The earthen core contained a substantial number of artifacts and organic remains that were derived from an occupation surface. The wall overlay the old ground surface where a number of burials, which predate its construction, were excavated. The blocked entrance was discovered during the excavation in the S half of the W side and is marked by two large upright stones, 0.72m apart, with three low jamb-stones. The enclosure was subsequently reinstated to its original form prior to excavation and the entrance feature was reconstructed. There are two cairns (SL020-166008-; SL020-166009-) at the centre of the burial ground. The town of Ballysadare is c. 600m to NW. (Mount 1995d, 78-9; 2002, 103-116) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008 This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 1/1995).