A JUDGE HAS permanently halted unauthorised development works at an ancient Christian burial ground dating back more than a thousand years at River Road, Castleknock, Dublin, after human bones had been unearthed.

Judge John O’Connor today granted Fingal County Council an interlocutory injunction directing Jonathan Coyle of Colecott Cottages, Ballough, Lusk, Co Dublin, and Conor Noone, Maynooth Park, Maynooth, Co Kildare, to immediately cease all earthworks at the site.

Stephen Dodd SC, on behalf of Fingal County Council, told the Circuit Civil Court that site clearance works had been carried out by the defendants on what was a national monument where hundreds of human skeletal remains had been professionally excavated in the late nineteen thirties.

The barrister, who appeared with Fingal in-house solicitor Karl Gormley, told Judge O’Connor that the first finding of a skeleton and two skulls had been made in a field near the river Tolka and River Road Cottages in 1937.

The court heard that in 1938 the National Museum had led an excavation in which almost 400 skeletons of men, women and children had been uncovered and removed for examination. 

The excavation had also uncovered blue and white glass beads, a lignite ring, bronze pins, flint arrowheads and some iron objects. 

A silver coin of Eadgar of England dated AD 967 had also been found indicating the site had been used in the 10th century in what was currently a field of pasture.

Only a third of the Christian cemetery may have been excavated.

Mr Dodd said recent works had been carried out last week which had resulted in the unearthing of more human bones, giving rise to a serious concern that irreparable harm had already been caused to what had long been an officially recorded monument.

Liam Rooney, planning inspector with Fingal County Council, told the court in written evidence that he had, during an inspection, observed new excavation works including the excavation of a metre-deep trench most likely intended for drainage.

Human remains had been unearthed and taken away by An Garda Siochana to the Coroner’s Office to determine if they were ancient.

Mr Dodd told Judge O’Connor that no consents had been provided for the new works and the council was extremely concerned that they had caused serious, irreparable and permanent damage to the monument.

It was believed that, unless restrained, the defendants would carry out further damaging works.

A report on the ancient burial ground stated it was an extensive Early Christian cemetery datable to the 10^th century which had not been disturbed by medieval or later interment. 

A total of 383 skeletons laid in regular formation with their heads to the North West had been discovered, 136 males and 99 females of which a total of 97 were children.

Mr Dodd told the court the application was being made in the absence of the defendants and an early return date would be required to allow them to provide the court with any information they may wish to bring.

Granting interlocutory restraints, Judge O’Connor said he would take up the matter again on Thursday.

Clarification: An earlier version of this article had the incorrect name of the barrister representing Fingal County Council. The error has been rectified.