County: Clare Site name: SCATTERY ISLAND
Sites and Monuments Record No.: RMP 67:24 Licence number: 01E0661
Author: Laurence Dunne, Eachtra Archaeological Projects
Site type: Burial and Burnt mound
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 497098m, N 652303m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.612222, -9.519444
Scattery Island (historically known as Inis Cathaigh) is a National Monument in state care. The island has been historically recorded in the annals and elsewhere from the early decades of the 6th century. The archaeology on Scattery is dominated by an extensive complex of medieval ecclesiastical structures, including a round tower, several churches, a holy well and the stump of a tower-house. Several other monuments dating from the later post-medieval period to the modern period also survive, including a vernacular fishing village that was occupied until the last decades of the 20th century. A monastery founded on the island around AD 534 by St Senan later became a very developed ecclesiastical complex. The island was the target of many Viking raids between 816 and 1176, during which time the Vikings settled on it. Given its strategic location at the mouth of the Shannon estuary, it effectively controlled all maritime traffic up the Shannon to Limerick and eventually on through the centre of Ireland.
Dúchas are currently undertaking conservation works to facilitate visitors to the island, and an archaeological assessment was undertaken to determine potential archaeological impacts. As part of the assessment a minor test excavation was undertaken along the proposed route of a drain, pathway and associated wall to the north of Teampall na Marbh, the only graveyard where lay people from both the island and mainland are interred. The pathway is being constructed to facilitate access to the numerous archaeological sites on the island. During initial clearance of briars and stones by Dúchas in the test area, human remains were discovered.
Three trenches were excavated along the wall to determine the chronology and relationship of the wall to the human remains and to the stone-lined drain. A distinct difference in ground level between the north and south sides of the wall was noted, the higher ground level no doubt representing soil build-up owing to burials. The wall was partly built with the use of mortar. A quern fragment was found built into its lower section. An organic layer containing fragments of mortar and human bone was found between the wall and the drain. The flat-bottomed drain was cut into the natural subsoil and a foundation layer was placed on either side with capstones placed over, facilitating the construction of the wall.
Two further features were located during the assessment. A concentrated and disturbed spread of disarticulated human remains lay on the surface alongside the round tower. The area was fenced off and all human remains removed as it was at severe risk owing to visitor stress focusing on the round tower. The large quantity of human remains exposed on the surface was primarily due to the action of uncontrolled numbers of rabbits on the island since its evacuation.
Between the round tower and St Senan’s well a large burnt mound was discovered. A piece of slag was recovered from the surface. This burnt mound may be the first prehistoric evidence from Scattery.
3 Canal Place, Tralee
