County: Galway Site name: TUAM: Temple Jarlath
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 29:180C Licence number: 02E1465
Author: Jerry O’Sullivan, NRA Project Archaeologist
Site type: Graveyard
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 543389m, N 752005m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.514975, -8.853562
A licence was granted for the archaeological excavation of six small pits for the insertion of insect traps in the old graveyard at Temple Jarlath, Tuam, Co. Galway. The insect survey was conducted by Kelville & O’Sullivan Consulting for Galway County Council and was funded by the Heritage Council. It forms part of an assessment of the conservation and management needs of the graveyard for heritage and amenity purposes.
The site is as described in the Archaeological inventory of County Galway. Volume II: north Galway (nos 3483 and 3484).
A ruined medieval parish church stands in a graveyard on the southern side of Tuam’s medieval High Street. The graveyard is D-shaped and is enclosed by a mortared wall with iron railings. There are numerous early modern gravestones, almost all recumbent, lying on a lawned surface. There is a fine walk of ornamental yews, probably of mid- or late 19th-century date, and some ornamental shrubs and weeds at the margins of the graveyard.
The insect-trap pits were excavated at six locations throughout the site. They were 0.15m wide and no more than 0.2m deep. Only the topsoil was disturbed. This was a dark grey/brown, sandy loam with frequent small stones and occasional inclusions of small bone fragments, modern pottery sherds, glass and plastic. There was no significant intrusion on the archaeological fabric of the site.
Galway County Council
