1999:334 - KILLORGLIN: Carnegie Library, Market Street, Kerry

Human remains were discovered during demolition and construction at the rear of the existing Carnegie Library, Market Street, Killorglin. Consequently, archaeological monitoring was introduced, although only a small zone abutting the rear of the library remained undisturbed. This area measured 18.5m north-south and 6m on average east-west. A truncated burial was discovered. Work was halted, and an emergency excavation licence was applied for. Two severely truncated burials and a quantity of ex situ human bone were recovered.

Burial A, the truncated remains of an articulated, in situ burial, was discovered extending beneath the south-eastern corner of the Carnegie building. It was therefore necessary to cut a 1.5m-by-1m trench through the concrete floor of the building to enable full recovery of the remains.

This individual had been truncated from the patellae down during recent development work. The left femur and the lower left arm and hand bones were also absent. The skull was lying on the left side, facing north. The individual had been placed extended, with the head at the western end, in a simple dug grave that was orientated east-west. No evidence of a coffin or artefacts survived.

A second in situ, articulated but truncated burial, Burial B, was uncovered 1.2m south of Burial A. The right side of the individual had been partially truncated by the southern wall of the library building. The upper torso and skull lay beneath the concrete floor of the building. However, it was deemed structurally unsafe to expose the upper area of this individual by cutting through the floor, as had been possible with Burial A. Therefore, the individual was only partially excavated. Burial B consisted of an extended inhumation aligned west-south-west/east-north-east with the head presumably to the west. The hands had been crossed over the pelvis. This individual had also been placed in a simple dug grave.

3 Canal Place, Tralee, Co. Kerry