Killaraght Grave Yard — Killaraght

A subrectangular graveyard (53.5m N-S; c. 41m E-W) enclosed on the S, W and N sides by a stone wall. The E wall has been removed and the graveyard has been extended c. 100m to the E. This extension is enclosed by a modern wall and is accessed from the main road to E. Headstones in the older section date to the 19th and 20th centuries. The NW quadrant is slightly raised and, according to local tradition, is probably the site of a church (SL047-083001-). The graveyard is still in use. Several dressed limestone and sandstone slabs of medieval appearance were uncovered during a graveyard clean-up scheme, including a gabled sandstone slab with 'four projections on its upper surface each of which has a swastika carved on its face' and 'a number of fragments of windows decorated with plate tracery' (Mount 1994a). Also uncovered were some 18th-century style cut stones including three pieces of an archway and a plinth inscribed 'POSITUM 1742' (ibid.). A flint arrowhead was also found in the graveyard (pers. comm. M. A. Timoney). A field system (SL047-083004-) lies to the S and W. There is a moated site (SL047-083008-) c. 50m to the W and a mound barrow (SL047-083006-) c. 150m to the SW. A road (SL047-083003-) lies c. 200m to the NE and 'Toberaraght' holy well (SL047-081----) is c. 600m 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