County: Antrim Site name: 30–32 Larne Road, Carrickfergus
Sites and Monuments Record No.: ANT053–037 Licence number: AE/06/160
Author: Jo Kovacik and Peter Bowen, ADS Ltd, Unit 48, Westlink Enterprise Centre, 30–50 Distillery Street, Belfast, BT12 5BJ.
Site type: Urban
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 746063m, N 893002m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.763742, -5.730250
Previous testing on the site by means of trial-trenching had been undertaken without any archaeological deposits being uncovered (Excavations 2006, No. 51). However, following this human skeletal remains were found in a small corridor of land, 2m wide, running alongside the southern site boundary. In total twelve burials were excavated, all in varying degrees of completeness, all cut into the remains of a raised beach. Among the burials were two infants and two sub-adult burials. Two burials, one infant and one sub-adult, were found to have been buried in a prone position. The majority of the burials were orientated approximately east–west, although two were found to be closer to north–south in orientation. Nothing datable was recovered from the burials, but it is likely that they are associated with St Bridget’s Hospital, recorded as receiving lepers. This hospital was a probable medieval foundation and is reputed to lie directly to the east-south-east of the site.
