2006:2132 - Tomfarney, Wexford

In July 2006 a stone cist containing a cremation was discovered when a sewerage trench was being excavated at Tomfarney, near Clonroche, Co. Wexford. Some of the cist contents had been removed by the digger and a large amount of cremated bone was scattered on the ground surface around the cist. An investigation was carried out under Section 26 of the 1930 National Monuments Act in order to secure the safety of the exposed archaeological remains.
Although the cist stones had also been disturbed at the time of discovery, it was possible to see that the chamber was roughly rectangular in plan and was orientated north-east/south-west. It measured c. 0.95m long by 0.7m wide. All of the in situ cist slabs were of granite, which contrasted sharply with the shale bedrock into which the pit was cut. Five upright slabs which formed part of the cist chamber remained in situ, but many were slanted inwards, probably due to destabilisation of the structure by the machine. The cist slabs were flanked on each end by a large number of packing stones. A portion of the cremation deposit remained in situ on the cist floor. A perforated flat stone and a small bead of fine clay were recovered from within the cremation deposit. Once the osteoarchaeological analysis is complete, a sample of the bone will be submitted for radiocarbon dating.