Burial ground, Mucros, An Leargaidh Mhór, Co. Donegal

Burial ground, Mucros, An Leargaidh Mhór, Co. Donegal

In the quiet grasslands of County Donegal lies a forgotten burial ground known locally as Kilbane, where centuries of history have been absorbed back into the earth.

Burial ground, Mucros, An Leargaidh Mhór, Co. Donegal

Today, visitors would find little more than an unremarkable patch of grass surrounded by rougher terrain, with no visible traces of its former purpose. Yet beneath this peaceful surface, local farmers and archaeologists have uncovered human bones and fragments of grave markers over the years, silent witnesses to the generations who once laid their dead to rest here.

Archaeological surveys suggest that Kilbane burial ground once consisted of a roughly square plot, measuring approximately 19 by 18.5 metres, possibly enclosed by an earthen bank that has long since eroded into barely perceptible undulations in the landscape. Historical maps tell an intriguing story of transformation; the first edition Ordnance Survey six-inch map from the 19th century shows this area and its eastern neighbour as a single D-shaped field, which may have represented the original boundary of the graveyard before later subdivisions altered its form.



The site remains something of a mystery, with no records indicating when burials began or ended here, or which community it served. Its informal name, preserved only in local memory, and the absence of any church ruins nearby suggest it may have been a cillín, an unconsecrated burial ground often used for unbaptised infants, strangers, or those denied burial in consecrated ground. These liminal spaces dot the Irish landscape, quiet reminders of complex social and religious histories that official records rarely captured.

0.0/5

Good to Know

Tags

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of IrishHistory.com
IrishHistory.com
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, Mucros, An Leargaidh Mhór, Co. Donegal. 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: 50 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Mucros, An Leargaidh Mhór, Co. Donegal
54.61640406, -8.58227742
54.61640406,-8.58227742
Mucros, An Leargaidh Mhór 
Burial Grounds 

Related Places