New heritage project launched to preserve the stories of Mayo’s cillíní
A county-wide initiative invites the public to share memories, local knowledge and oral histories of children’s burial grounds to help safeguard Mayo’s children burial grounds
A major new heritage initiative has been launched to record and preserve the memories, stories and local knowledge surrounding Mayo’s historic children’s burial grounds, known as cillíní.
Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting has partnered with Mayo County Council Heritage Office to deliver the CILLÍNÍ project, which is funded by The Heritage Council.
The county-wide initiative aims to document oral histories, traditions and community knowledge relating to these often-overlooked yet deeply significant heritage sites.
The project, named “Silent Ground, Living Memory”, will explore the history and cultural importance of children’s burial grounds across Co. Mayo, while encouraging members of the public to share their own memories, family stories and local knowledge.
The National Museum Service already records over 220 cillíní in Mayo, but some are still missing from the official records and only known locally.
Organisers of the CILLÍNÍ projects are particularly interested in hearing from people who know the location of a cillín in their locality, have family or community memories connected to the sites, or possess local maps or records that could help build a more complete picture of this important aspect of Mayo’s heritage.
The project is guided by the cillín Framework, which focuses on six key themes: Cuimhne (Memory) by recording stories and local knowledge; Ionad (Place) through documenting sites and landscapes; Labhairt (Voice) by giving communities a voice; Léargas (Insight) to deepen understanding of history and tradition; Íogaireacht (Sensitivity) in approaching the subject with care; and Nasc (Connection) by linking people, places and heritage.
The project seeks to preserve community knowledge relating to Mayo’s children’s burial grounds while also documenting the sites themselves, including their locations, local names, physical features, associated traditions and their place within the county’s wider cultural landscape.
The initiative recognises that many cillíní remain largely undocumented despite their importance in local history and memory, making community participation central to the project’s success.
Anyone wishing to contribute information, memories or stories can contact the Mayo County Council Heritage Office on 094 9064092 or by email at [email protected].
Alternatively, Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting can be contacted on 087 9160730 or by email at [email protected].
The project hopes to ensure that these places of remembrance, and the stories connected to them, are preserved for future generations while offering a better understanding of one of Mayo’s most sensitive and under-recorded heritage.