1999:074 - BALLYNOE, Cork

A further phase of excavations was carried out at the medieval church of Ballynoe in March 1999, before conservation work on the church walls. The surviving ruins consist of the east end of the nave, an almost complete chancel and a vestry or sacristy extending northwards from the east end of the chancel. A small area was excavated within the north-east corner of the chancel (Area A), and another cutting was excavated in the field outside the church, immediately east of the vestry and chancel (Area B).

Area A measured 2.2m north-south x 1.3m east-west and was a continuation northwards of a cutting excavated in March 1996 in which the base of a mortared stone structure, presumably the altar, was uncovered (Excavations 1996, 10).

The present excavation uncovered the foundation course of an unmortared stone structure extending northwards from the altar to the north-east corner of the chancel. The position of this structure directly under a large aumbry at the north end of the east wall of the chancel suggests that the aumbry was a statue niche or a reliquary with a side altar underneath, perhaps dedicated to the patron saint of the church.

Beneath the stone base were two adjacent graves, both orientated east-west. Near their base the graves were divided by thin sandstone slabs set on edge. Because of their proximity to the north chancel wall, part of which is leaning inwards, neither of these graves was fully excavated for fear of further disturbing the wall foundations. It was clear, however, that neither contained a full skeleton, although some disarticulated human bone was found in each. A number of coffin nails were also found, as well as a tiny metal pin 12mm long. The latter may have been a shroud pin.

Area B was an L-shaped area excavated on the east side of the chancel and vestry, measuring a maximum of 6m north-south and 4.2m east-west. Rubble clearance around the area of a breach in the southern end of the east wall of the vestry revealed that this was formerly a doorway. Two surviving jamb stones displayed chamfered edges with tapered stop-chamfers suggesting a late 13th-century date.

Two layers of cobblestones uncovered outside the doorway and extending southwards from it represent two separate phases of deliberate raising of the ground level and the creation of a hard surface, and it is likely that they were laid down to create a pathway outside the door.

Beneath the cobblestones a series of post-holes extended north-eastwards from the junction of the chancel and vestry, suggesting the presence of a stout boundary fence. The area to the south of this boundary contained a dense concentration of human burials. Two of these were excavated, as they lay in an area where conservation work on the walls will be necessary, while the others were left undisturbed. Both were of children, one aged 8–10 years, the other aged 3–4 years. In both cases the skulls were supported by 'ear-muffs', flat stones set on edge on either side of the skull.

To the north of the boundary less ground disturbance and fewer burials were encountered. Directly outside the vestry doorway two fully extended supine burials were excavated, both orientated west-east. The most southerly lay in an earth-dug grave and was of an adolescent aged 15–19 years. The other skeleton lay in a cist grave, i.e. a grave lined with flat slabs set on edge and with covering slabs resting on the side slabs. This was the skeleton of a female in her twenties. Both burials had been disturbed by the digging of a trench parallel to the vestry wall, possibly in an attempt to consolidate the sagging foundations by packing stone underneath.

The burials and post-holes had been cut into the fill of a c. 2m-deep ditch, another section of which had been excavated in 1996. The ditch is likely to have been the enclosing element of an Early Christian site.

Ballynanelagh, Rathcormac, Co. Cork