County: Sligo Site name: THE FISHERMAN'S GRAVE, Lackan
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Victor M Buckley
Site type: Burial
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 529715m, N 832668m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.238044, -9.078178
In May 1991 rescue excavation was carried out on a lintelled grave which was being eroded from a cliff-face at Lackan. Winter storms in 1990-91 had already removed the western end of the grave. The site had been locally known as the 'Fisherman's Grave' though it was only revealed by the storms of 1990 and no surface indication of a burial existed.
The remaining portion of the grave was c. 1m long, 0.5m wide, roughly aligned east-west. It was constructed of large water-rolled limestone slabs, presumably from the adjacent beach. The slabs were placed on edge to form the side and end stones and were capped by two sets of interlocking slabs forming the roof. The grave contained the remains of a sub-adult, extended with the feet to the east. Only the legs remained, all other parts of the body having been already eroded. The excavation is published (Buckley V.M. et al North Mayo Hist J 1991, Vol. 2, No. 5,21-4).
Office of Public Works, Dublin
