Burial ground, Kildarra, Co. Cork

Co. Cork |

Burial Grounds

Burial ground, Kildarra, Co. Cork

In the pastureland of west Cork, an irregular patch of ground holds the quiet remains of a burial place that had already been old enough to map by 1842.

The Ordnance Survey's six-inch sheets from that year record it plainly as 'Kildarra Grave Yd.', a designation that suggests a site of some local significance, even if the name itself has since faded from common knowledge. The 'Kil' prefix, from the Irish 'cill', typically points to an early ecclesiastical enclosure or small church site, hinting that whatever lies beneath this field may have roots stretching back considerably further than the nineteenth century.

The site occupies an irregular area of roughly 29 metres north to south and just over 18 metres east to west. Its boundary is defined not by any standing wall but by a slight scarp, a low earthen edge, and a shallow external fosse on the eastern side, with a gentle depression to the west. A fosse is simply a ditch, in this case a very modest one, of the kind often used to demarcate sacred or set-apart ground in early Irish burial and ecclesiastical sites. Inside, field clearance stones have accumulated over the years, the kind of material farmers gathered up from surrounding ground and deposited somewhere out of the way, and among them some gravemarkers are still visible. The mixing of clearance rubble with burial markers is common at long-disused sites, where the memory of the place persists even as its maintenance lapses.

The ground is currently under pasture, so the earthworks are subtle and easy to miss without knowing what to look for. The defining scarp and fosse to the east are the clearest indicators of the enclosure's edge, while the slight hollow to the west gives the interior an uneven feel underfoot. The gravemarkers noted within are worth seeking out, though the accumulation of clearance stone means the interior can appear unremarkable at a glance.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Burial ground, Kildarra, Co. Cork. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement