Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Souterrain
Poulbaun (burren By.), County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Poulbaun (burren By.)
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.06424, -9.11680
- SMR number
- CL005-160035-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
In elevated rocky pasture at the SW end of a prominent limestone ridge aligned NE-SW, with clear views in all directions, and within an extensive multiperiod field system (CL005-160001-). In the NE quadrant of a cashel (CL005-160021-). The cashel is hachured on the 1840 and 1916 OS 6-inch maps, but the souterrain is not indicated. Westropp (1899, 373) remarked on the fine vista from the cashel and described the ‘curved souterrain’ within the garth. Indicated on Robinson’s map of the Burren (1977). The souterrain has an L plan. It opens NE of the centre of the cashel and travels NE (L 3.5m; Wth 1-1.4m; D 0.8m), before turning to run N (L 2.3m; Wth 1m; D 0.7m). The N end of the passage has collapsed, and the full length of the monument is unclear. The first part of the passage is unroofed (L 1.8m), and the remainder is roofed with slabs except for a short unroofed stretch in the middle.
Compiled by: Mary Tunney
Date of upload: 30 September 2025
References
Robinson, T. 1977 (revised 1999) The Burren: a two-inch map of the uplands of north-west Clare. Map scale 1:31680. Roundstone: Folding Landscapes. Westropp, T.J. 1899 Prehistoric remains in the Burren, County Clare. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 29, 367-84.
Nearby in the register
- Ringfort - cashelunder 1 mi
- Field systemunder 1 mi
- Megalithic tomb - wedge tombunder 1 mi
- Mass-rockunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.