2020:817 - MANORHAMILTON, Leitrim

A program of archaeological testing/monitoring was carried out prior to the construction of two new car parks at Our Lady’s Hospital, Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim.  One car park was situated to the front of the hospital and the other to the rear. The car park  proposed for the rear of the hospital was situated adjacent to the old fever hospital for the workhouse and in an area described as ‘Burial Ground’ on 2nd edition OS map. During previous groundworks associated with the construction of the headquarters for the North-Western Health Board, 74 coffined burials were discovered, 73 of which were excavated by Moore Group in 2001 (Licence No. 01E07200).

During this program of archaeological monitoring and testing,  10 pairs of parallel lines of planked wood positioned vertically in the ground were uncovered in Trench 4 at a depth of 0.6-0.7m below present ground level.  These were interpreted as being the remains of coffins associated with the workhouse burial ground and every effort was made not to disturb the areas between the pairs of wooden planks where human remains were possibly situated. The location and presentation of these features were recorded and overlaid with protective terram and clean fill material.  Information obtained was used by engineers to modify design in this area to avoid any impact on any possible burials.