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AR01055_EMAP_Gazetteer_of_Sites_4-2_10.pdf - The Heritage ...

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Galway<br />

Kiltiernan, Co. Galway<br />

Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Enclosure.<br />

Grid Ref: M 438 157<br />

SMR No: N/A<br />

Excavation Licence: E936 (National Museum Registration Number)<br />

Excavation Duration/Year: July 6 th - August 2 nd & October 16 th -24 th 1950, July 16 th -<br />

September 5 th 1951 and June 16 th - 28 th 1953<br />

Site Director: Michael V. Duignan (University College Galway)<br />

Kiltieran is the site <strong>of</strong> an early monastery which revealed evidence for a cemetery <strong>of</strong> over 18<br />

burials (14 earlier than the pre-Romanesque church), possible early medieval domestic stone<br />

buildings, occupation horizons and ironworking activity as well as various early medieval<br />

artefacts. <strong>The</strong> monastery is located in the townland <strong>of</strong> Kiltiernan East about 3km southeast <strong>of</strong><br />

Kilcolgan village in South, Co. Galway. <strong>The</strong> monastic site is situated in relatively flat<br />

countryside, about 30-45m above OD and covers an area <strong>of</strong> approximately 1.4 hectares (3<br />

acres) enclosed by a circular drystone wall in ruins. <strong>The</strong> monastic site <strong>of</strong> Kiltiernan in South,<br />

Co. Galway is said to have been founded by a late fifth century figure called Tiernan,<br />

mentioned in the Book <strong>of</strong> Hy Fiachrach and possibly in the Martyrology <strong>of</strong> Donegal. <strong>The</strong>re is<br />

also a tradition that connects the monastic site with the seventh century St. Colman whose<br />

greatest foundation was at Kilmacduagh in the same territory.<br />

Trenches were excavated in the interior <strong>of</strong> the church, within its surrounding enclosure and at<br />

three houses and adjacent sections <strong>of</strong> the monastic enclosure wall in the southeastern<br />

quadrant <strong>of</strong> the site. <strong>The</strong> excavations were undertaken before the use <strong>of</strong> radiocarbon dating<br />

and no precise dates can be assigned to the phases <strong>of</strong> burial activity, the domestic<br />

occupation or the industrial activity. <strong>The</strong> church and its surrounding cemetery were located<br />

inside a central square enclosure and were excavated in 1950. Work concentrated the<br />

following year in the southeast <strong>of</strong> the monastic enclosure where two house sites, houses II<br />

and III and the monastic enclosure entrance were investigated. In addition, some<br />

explorations were undertaken on a third house site, house I. <strong>The</strong> final season in 1953 was<br />

confined to House I and to cuttings opened to the north and south <strong>of</strong> it along the enclosure<br />

wall.<br />

<strong>The</strong> earliest securely dated activity preceded the construction <strong>of</strong> an eleventh/twelfth century<br />

stone church and comprised an early cemetery and its surrounding central stone enclosure, c.<br />

30.5m² internally. <strong>The</strong> foundations for the wall <strong>of</strong> the central cemetery enclosure were<br />

exposed along its western side and measured c. 1.1m wide and c. 0.25 in depth. Its masonry<br />

consisted <strong>of</strong> thin slabs with the flat sides <strong>of</strong> the stones forming the wall faces. <strong>The</strong> wall<br />

foundations were built upon yellow grey till and an early medieval polished bone peg or pin<br />

was recovered from this level close to the west face <strong>of</strong> the wall. <strong>The</strong> basal course <strong>of</strong> a portion<br />

<strong>of</strong> the north wall <strong>of</strong> the cemetery enclosure was also exposed. It measured 0.73m-0.99m and<br />

contained a core <strong>of</strong> packing stones faced externally with large flat stones. <strong>The</strong> wall rested on<br />

a foundation plinth built on the yellow grey till.<br />

<strong>The</strong> axis <strong>of</strong> the central enclosure is orientated southwest-northeast and does not conform to<br />

the alignment <strong>of</strong> the stone church in its interior. Instead, excavations have demonstrated that<br />

it was aligned with an earlier cemetery which preceded the stone church. Two adult burials in<br />

the northwest interior <strong>of</strong> the church were orientated southwest-northeast. <strong>The</strong> burials were<br />

disturbed by the packing stones <strong>of</strong> the foundations <strong>of</strong> the early medieval stone church and<br />

clearly antedated this structure. <strong>The</strong>ir alignment with the central enclosure wall may indicate<br />

that the cemetery enclosure was built on the same alignment as an earlier (wooden?) church,<br />

not yet identified.<br />

Over a dozen other shallow, narrow graves were excavated to the north <strong>of</strong> the stone church<br />

inside the central square enclosure and were also orientated southwest-northeast in the same<br />

direction as the surrounding enclosure. All <strong>of</strong> these burials consisted <strong>of</strong> fully extended supine<br />

skeletons, except for one crouched example. A number <strong>of</strong> these burials were uncovered in an<br />

307

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