Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

In scrub at the edge of improved and extensively cleared pasture at the sheltered S foot of a low ridge which rises up to W and N. Indicated and named ‘Cave’ on the 1915 ed. of the OS 6-inch map and indicated as a souterrain on Robinson’s map ([1977] 1999). A souterrain has been constructed against the entrance to a natural cave passage (traceable L 3.1m; Wth 0.9m; H at mouth 0.7m; H at back 0.5m) in a low bedrock terrace. A massive lintel roofs the W end while to its E the roof is natural bedrock. Collapsed drystone walls extend W from cave mouth suggesting it may have run further in this direction or that a building shielded its entrance. A small drystone-built animal shelter (L 7.5m N–S; 6m E-W) roofed with galvanise stands on the bedrock terrace above the cave. The site of a burial ground (CL006-053001-) is located c. 50m NW. A number of bones were removed from the cave, some of which were identified as human, and all were subsequently returned to where they had originally been found (Marion Dowd, pers. comm. 2013).

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin

Date of upload: 28 July 2021

References

Robinson, T. 1977 (reprint 1999) The Burren: a two-inch map of the uplands of North-West Clare. Map Scale 1:31680. Roundstone: Folding Landscapes.