Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in the S half of a cashel (CL009-059031-). Indicated and named ‘Cave’ on the 1897 OS 25-inch plan and 1920 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. A souterrain (overall L 20.6m) comprised of a straight E-W underground passage which curves N at the W end, from where a side passage extends NE to a possible collapsed beehive chamber. The entrance was not detected. The easternmost section (L 2m) is roofed with lintels but is inaccessible. As this passage continues W (L 10m; visible H c. 1-1.3m) the roof lintels have broken in the middle and have fallen into the passage and some of the N wall (L 2.5m) has collapsed. Continuing W, the souterrain curves to the N, adjacent to and parallel with the cashel wall. Here is another roofed section (L 5.3m; max. Wth 1.45m; H 1.5m) comprising nine intact lintels (one slipped) as well as corbelled walls. In the W wall there is a cavity (Wth 0.3m; H 0.3m; est. D 0.6m). Westropp (1901, 289) mentioned ‘a couple of ambrey-like recesses’ here, as well as corbelling along the top of the passage walls, comprising ‘a cornice of long slabs projecting 12 inches or 13 inches over the edge, and the whole is roofed by long, thin slabs’. To the N of this roofed section, the un-lintelled passage (L 3.3m) becomes narrower (Wth 1.1m; H 1.1m) with debris on the floor. From the E side of the passage a barely traceable subsidiary passage (L 3.8m) extends to NE, reaching a circular underground space (diam. 6m; D 0.4m) filled with rubble, which may be a collapsed beehive chamber.

There is a house site (CL009-059104-) in the NW quadrant.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 16 February 2022

References

Westropp, T.J 1901 Prehistoric remains in north-western Clare part II. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 31, 273-91.