1996:394 - MULLINGAR: Austin Friar Street and Barrack Street, Westmeath

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Westmeath Site name: MULLINGAR: Austin Friar Street and Barrack Street

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 96E0069

Author: Breandan Ó Ríordáin, for Project Director V.J. Keeley

Site type: Burial

Period/Dating: Undetermined

ITM: E 643941m, N 753022m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.525327, -7.337303

In the course of archaeological monitoring of the laying of Telecom Eireann telephone cables in trenches in the footpaths along the southern side of Pearse Street and Austin Friar Street in the period mid-April to early July, a quantity of previously disturbed human skeletal remains came to light close to the western end of Austin Friar Street. The trench in the footpath had been used in earlier years to accommodate an electricity cable at a depth of some 0.7m below the surface. Following the laying down of the ESB cable, the skeletal remains had been returned to the trench and were found overlying the cable.

The location of the remains on the southern side of Austin Friar Street was immediately opposite the site of the human bones investigated on the northern side of the street by C. Duffy and V.J. Keeley in 1994 (Excavations 1994, 83) and in the general vicinity of the discovery of nine human burials from Site A, Austin Friar Street, reported on by Rosanne Meenan also in 1994 (Excavations 1994, 83).

A short length of trench was also mechanically excavated by Telecom Éireann to accommodate telephone cables in the footpath at the western end of Barrack Street and along its northern side. A number of dwelling-houses had originally fronted onto the footpath and had been serviced by water-pipes and town gaspipes running under the footpath. A number of previously disturbed skeletal remains were recovered from the trench. In one instance, part of one skeleton was articulated; it was orientated east-west and lay at a depth of 0.5m below the present surface.

The location of these human remains was in close proximity to the presumed site of St Mary's Priory, which was founded in Mullingar for the Canons Regular of St Augustine by Ralph Petit, bishop of Meath, c.1227. The priory was dissolved in 1540 and was taken over by Augustinian friars before 1643. Archaeological excavation at this presumed priory site by Michael Gibbons in October 1996 revealed numerous burials and some artefacts.

Burgage More, Blessington, Co. Wicklow