- Ballyroosky, Co. Donegal, Donegal

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Donegal Site name: Ballyroosky, Co. Donegal

Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR DG008-026001 Licence number:

Author:

Site type: GRAVES OF INDETERMINATE DATE

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 615569m, N 945561m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 55.256948, -7.755099

In January 1990 human bone was discovered on Illanaght, a small tidal island forming part of the townland of Ballyhooriskey on the Fanad peninsula, Co. Donegal.60 The island is a low, grassy eminence c. 30m in diameter, separated from dry land but only cut off at very high tides. The discovery was reported to the Gardaí, who removed the skull to the morgue in Letterkenny and reported the find to the NMI. A number of days later the remaining bones were dug up by a local person apparently in search of ‘treasure’, and the entirety of the remains were subsequently reburied on site by the Gardaí. The site was investigated by Raghnall Ó Floinn, but as the remains were ex situ by the time of investigation this report is based on the Garda observations. The skeleton was found on the seaward side of the island to the northeast. It lay approximately east/west, with the head to the west, in shingle just underneath the sod. There was no evidence of grave-markers or stone slabs, and it appears that the grave was simply an unlined pit. The body (1990:2) lay extended in a supine position with the head to the west. No artefacts were found with the burial.

60. Parish of Clondavaddog, barony of Kilmacrenan. SMR DG008-026001-. IGR 215620 445580.