- Lisnalurg, Co. Sligo, Sligo

In June 1969 human remains were discovered during the construction of a road at Lisnalurg, Co. Sligo.²⁵¹ An old road surface marked on the first edition of the OS 6in. sheet was being removed in advance of the construction of a new road. A site visit was carried out by John Waddell of the Irish Antiquities Division. Human bone was noticed in the uppermost portion of the face of the cutting, which was approximately 0.035m deep. The bones occurred immediately below the 0.1m or so of the old road surface visible in the cutting face, and rested on undisturbed boulder clay. They occurred to a depth of 0.6m below the road surface and extended for a distance of approximately 20m in the cutting face. Bones protruded haphazardly from the face and it appeared as if successive later burials had disturbed earlier ones. It was not possible to judge the orientation of the burials, which were apparently unprotected. There were no finds. There was some local tradition of bones in the garden of Lisnalurg House in the area close to the road, which may indicate that the cemetery extended some metres south-west. Further along the face of the cutting, 12m from the apparent edge of the cemetery, a large, approximately saucer-shaped deposit of burnt clay and stones and flecks of charcoal was visible at approximately the same level as the cemetery. The visible portion of this deposit measured 4m across and its base was 0.6m below the road surface. It consisted of layers of burnt stones, patches of charcoal, layers of ash etc. and was apparently either a hearth or an ash pit.²⁵² No artefacts were noted. It was not possible to uncover any significant portion of this pit because the road above it, though officially closed, was still being used for access purposes. The SMR notes the burial ground just north of Lisnalurg House.²⁵³

251. Parish of Drumcliff, barony of Carbury. OS 6in. sheet 14.
252. SMR SL014-016002. IGR 169150 338300.
253. SMR SL014-01601. IGR 169150 338300.