Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

In a poorly preserved rath (CL002-068001-), in good-quality meadowland, on a gentle W-facing slope c. 100m SE of Lough Murree. A drystone-built souterrain comprising two chambers, one N and the other S, connected by a narrow passage, forming a H-shaped plan. The passage (L 1.2m; Wth 1m) has its roofstone removed and gives access through a lintelled ope (Wth 0.7m; H 1.4m) to the mid-section of N chamber. The N chamber (L 4.6m E–W; Wth 1.8–2m) is subrectangular with slightly rounded ends (Wth 1m). It is capped by massive roof lintels between which some very wide joints are cross-lintelled by smaller flags. The clay floor is visible only at the W end, where the height from floor to roof is 1.6m. The E and W gable ends have small niches. The E one (0.4 x 0.4m) is at floor level and the W one (L 0.6m; H 0.4m) is 0.4m above present floor level. Two air vents occur on the N wall just below the top of the inwardly projecting corbelling course carrying the roof lintels, one mid-way along the wall (0.4 x 0.25m) and the other (0.3m x 0.18m) near the E end. The S chamber is not accessible, but a small hole allows limited visual inspection. It appears to be of similar construction, orientation, and size to the N chamber.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin

Date of upload: 9 December 2020