Uncovering A Community's Lost Heritage: Kilskeagh Church & Graveyard, Rathfee, Co. Galway

I've had the pleasure of working as Project Archaeologist with the Kilskeagh Church & Graveyard Custodians group in Galway since 2023 on their work to uncover, protect, and preserve the site of an early medieval church and early modern community graveyard and cillín. Until last year, the site had been totally overgrown and inaccessible for decades, and it was then unclear how much of the archaeological and historical features still survived. Thanks to hundreds of hours of voluntary physical work by the group, this important multi-period site is now once again visible and accessible after over forty years of being lost to overgrowth.

The group now hopes to continue their work with the production of a conservation management plan for the site, as well as digital mapping of its features to preserve its current appearance. Projects like this one show the incredible voluntary work carried out by community groups to secure and preserve their own local heritage - work which shouldn't be taken for granted at any time. Phase 1 of the Kilskeagh Church and Graveyard project was supported by the Heritage Council Community Heritage Grant Scheme 2023.