County: Kildare Site name: CONVENT OF MERCY, NAAS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E1707 EXT.
Author: Ellen O’Carroll, The Archaeology Company, 17 Castle Street, Dalkey, Co. Dublin.
Site type: Urban medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 689221m, N 719817m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.221260, -6.663943
Archaeological excavations of 40 human skeletons were carried out in the grounds of the former Convent of Mercy, Sallins Road, Naas, in February and April 2005. These remains were uncovered during testing in October 2003 (Excavations 2003, No. 965). Excavations revealed that nearly all of the skeletons were interred in wooden coffins, which survived as wood fragments, coffins or nails. Orientation of the burials was east–west, with the head resting on the western side of the grave. All skeletons in the graveyard have been removed within the footprint of the proposed building, which has been conclusively tested to the level of natural subsoil.
It is likely that the human remains were buried c. 100–140 years ago. The excavated skeletal remains should be reinterred following the compilation of the osteoarchaeological report.
