'Every night, the crying of babies': the folklore associated with cillíní (children's burial grounds).

Though of relatively recent date, cillíní (children's burial grounds) are vulnerable archaeological sites that can easily be forgotten or destroyed. Many are known locally but have not been registered as archaeological sites, thus depriving them of statutory protection. An aspect of cillíní that has largely been overlooked by archaeologists is the rich body of associated folklore. The volume and range of folklore reflect the heightened awareness that communities had of cillíní in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Ireland. It also serves as a valuable tool for identifying previously unrecorded sites in the landscape. When specific folklore and folk traditions can be linked to a particular archaeological site, as presented here, it deepens our understanding of individual sites, placing them within a richer cultural context. Folklore can reveal how cillíní were perceived by the families who used these lonely spots for the burial of their unbaptised babies and other 'liminal' individuals within the community, such as those who died by suicide or bodies that had washed ashore. Additionally, folktales can sometimes provide a glimpse into the archaeology of emotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]