Killeran Grave Yard (Disused) — Ballydawley

In the SE quadrant of an ecclesiastical enclosure (SL020-171003-). An arc of a stone wall (C c. 16m; Wth 2.3m; int. H 0.4m; ext. H 1.3m), which is over 1m thicker than any adjacent walls, defines the graveyard WSW-NW. The wall comprises a basal course of large stones topped with smaller stones. Burials are located in a roughly oval area (c. 11m E-W; c. 8m N-S) defined by a collapsed stone wall at N and S, by a low scarp (H 0.6m) along E arc, while at the W arc it is open onto the graveyard wall. Burials marked by uninscribed stones are randomly scattered in the E half of the oval area while in the W half they occur in three parallel rows (on a NNE-SSW axis) roughly 0.9m apart. There is a standing stone (SL020-171004-), known as 'Cloghanaspig' [Cloch an Easpaig-the Bishop's stone], at SW. The graveyard is indicated on the 1838 OS 6-inch map as a small rectangular enclosure (c. 12m N-S; c. 10m E-W) and named 'Killeran Grave Yard'. It is known locally as a 'children's burial ground' (SL020-171010-). There is a tradition of a possible church (SL020-171001-) within the interior. There is a holy well (SL020-171005-) c. 80m to the S. 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