County: Leitrim Site name: Mohill
Sites and Monuments Record No.: LE032-068001- LE032-068002- LE032-068003- Licence number: 22E0252
Author: Tamlyn McHugh
Site type: Burial ground
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 608807m, N 796932m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.921674, -7.865925
A programme of pre-development test trenching within the proposed development area for Mohill Public Realm was undertaken to ascertain the extent and nature of any subsurface archaeological remains. Archaeological testing took place on 8 to 9 August 2022. The site investigation trenches were mechanically excavated using a graded bucket 0.5m wide under strict archaeological supervision. All site investigation works including engineering slit trenches and trial holes were monitored.
Additional to these trenches archaeological test trenches were mechanically excavated under in the vicinity of St Mary’s Church and graveyard within the footpath adjacent to the northern graveyard boundary wall and within the archaeological constraints area for RMP LE032-068001- Religious house - Augustinian canons, RMP LE032-068002- Church and RMP LE032-068003- Graveyard. A total of 10 parallel test trenches were excavated at 5m intervals within the footpath adjacent to the northern boundary wall of St Mary’s Church and Graveyard.
It had been originally envisaged that one 50m long trench running the full length of the northern perimeter of the graveyard would be excavated within the existing pavement. Unfortunately, given the possibility of destabilizing the wall, this trench could not be excavated. Instead, 10 smaller trenches were excavated perpendicular with the wall which allowed for the area to be tested. The total area excavated for testing purposes comprised 21.1m of trench. All trenches were excavated to the top of archaeological material or the boulder clay substrate. Depths of soil cover varied across the site with an average depth of 0.9m or where bedrock was encountered.
Archaeological material in the form of a small amount of disarticulated human skeletal remains were identified within the Proposed Development Area during the test trenching works within test trenches ST16 & ST18A. The skeletal material was examined by osteoarcheologist Linda Lynch. The remains in ST16 represent the remains of at least one adult individual, who had endured a significant inflammation/infection prior to death, and one infant. Ferrous staining from possible coffin nail was present on the aforementioned tibia. ST18A represented at least three individuals, one adult and two juveniles. All of these remains were presumably truncated in antiquity from burials in the vicinity of the test excavation.
Cooldrumman Upper, Carney, Co. Sligo
