2005:1112 - MOUNT STREET, CLAREMORRIS, Mayo

The planned construction of a link road in the townland of Clare, Claremorris, Co. Mayo (c. 350m of new road linking Mount Street with the railway station), impacts on a 19th-century paupers’ graveyard associated with Claremorris workhouse (built in 1851). This site is not marked on the first-edition OS map (1839–40); it is, however, marked as a burial ground on the second edition (1894). Over the years this site has been subject to several episodes of disturbance. In the 1960s trenching for sewerage purposes exposed numerous human bones. Some of these burials were reinterred at Ballinasmalla Abbey, outside Claremorris. Further disturbance occurred during the construction of the NCF cattle mart and carpark, which is built over part of the burial ground. During works associated with the Claremorris sewage scheme in 1998, two burials were encountered during testing by Richard Gillespie and were preserved in situ (Excavations 2000, No. 728, 98E0356).
Seven engineering site investigation trenches were excavated in July 2005. This work was monitored and five burials were encountered in two of the trenches. One coffin (Burial 1) was uncovered in Trench 5 directly under a slab of concrete and four pine coffins (Burials 2–5) were exposed at the base of Trench 6, c. 600mm below the NCF mart carpark surface. Following consultations between Mayo County Council, DoEHLG and the NMI, it was agreed to preserve these burials in situ and to construct the road by raising it c. 0.6m above the current ground level. This will eliminate ground disturbance within the known confines of the paupers’ graveyard. Construction is scheduled to take place in 2006 and associated works will be monitored under this licence.