County: Sligo Site name: Drumcliffe South
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SL008-084 Licence number: C000742; E004670
Author: Tamlyn McHugh
Site type: Early Christian monastic
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 567903m, N 842028m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.325798, -8.494285
The works involved the removal and reinstatement of the graveyard stone boundary wall to the south of St Columba’s Church, Drumcliffe South, Co. Sligo. The wall was within the zone of archaeological potential for Drumcliffe monastic centre. In the vicinity of the development area there were a number of monuments including National Monument No. 119, Drumcliffe High Crosses and Round Tower. Ministerial consent was obtained prior to commencement of the works.
Monitoring of the demolition works and excavation of the foundation trench was undertaken on June 1 2016. The trench was excavated using a mechanical excavator equipped with a graded bucket. The excavated foundation trench measured 0.9m wide, 0.3m deep and 13.2m long.
Material of an archaeological nature was found in the foundation trench. The stratigraphy in the trench consisted of a matrix of dark brown clayey silt with occasional fragmented brick inclusions. Within this soil was a small assemblage of disarticulated bone, the majority of which was identified as animal bone; however five fragments were human or possible human in origin. A fragment of a rotary quern was found amongst the stone that had been used to construct the rubble limestone graveyard boundary wall.
The wall was rebuilt to its original dimensions using the existing stone and a lime-based mortar. Following analysis of the skeletal material by osteoarchaeologist Dr Linda Lynch, and with the consent of the National Monuments Service and the National Museum of Ireland, the disarticulated bone fragments were buried in a disused grave immediately north of the reinstated boundary wall.
17 Cooldrumman Upper, Carney, Co. Sligo
