32 human remains identified on former De La Salle grounds

927 residential units are under construction on the former De La Salle site

MORE THAN 30 human remains have been identified so far at the medieval site of the former De La Salle National School and Monastery in Ballyfermot.

According to Dublin City Council's Archaeology Section, early evidence suggests that it was a cemetery used during the second half of the first millennium (500-1000 AD).

The land is currently in the middle of a massive construction project with Dwyer Nolan Developments Ltd building 927 residential units.

Work has been halted several times over the past year due to archaeological discoveries, including human remains, and calls by local officials and heritage groups for the finds to be catalogued.

Videos shared on social media last month showed a small skeleton in the ground at the site, while a second video showed someone lifting a lid off the remains and touching its teeth.

At Dublin City Council's meeting on Monday, Councillor Daithi Doolan (SF) called for a report on human remains and other historical artefacts found at the site.

In response to Councillor Doolan, the DCC said that archaeological excavations of “the remains of a large double enclosure dating from the early Middle Ages are currently underway” at the site.

The excavations are inspected by the city council's archaeological section every two weeks, with the last inspection taking place on July 17.

Following an inspection of the site in May by official agencies, further testing confirmed that the burials were concentrated towards the east of the inner enclosure.

“A total of 32 human remains (articulated and disarticulated) have been identified and exhumed to date. The next step is to excavate and survey the western half of the inner enclosure ditch and the burial area,” the DCC said.

“The approved scheme will be amended, in consultation with the planning authority, to facilitate the preservation of the eastern half of the burial area in situ under a green space. It is estimated that approximately 200 burials can be preserved in situ in this way.”

The full site results and objects will be accessible to the public once the excavation and post-excavation work is completed, with “data analyzed and written up by the site director and specialists.”